BiCo-1

BiCo-1 is a preclinical-stage bispecific antibody developed by the University Hospital Tübingen (Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen) for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). It is designed to act as a localized T-cell costimulator by simultaneously targeting the T-cell surface glycoprotein CD28 and endoglin (ENG/CD105), a protein highly expressed on tumor cells and the tumor neovasculature. By binding to endoglin in the tumor microenvironment, BiCo-1 provides the necessary costimulatory signal via CD28 to T-cells that have already recognized tumor antigens, thereby enhancing their effector function while minimizing systemic toxicity associated with global CD28 activation. This approach aims to overcome the immunosuppressive environment of prostate tumors and improve the efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with advanced disease.