A Revolutionary plaque-targeted anti-inflammatory therapy.

Orticumab

A Brutal Truth…

Despite our best lipid-lowering strategies, many post-ACS patients remain at high risk for recurrent events due to plaque inflammation

Oxidized LDL and proinflammatory macrophages play critical roles in plaque inflammation and rupture

Pathophysiology of Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS)

Can we precisely target residual plaque inflammation by inhibiting pro-inflammatory plaque macrophages?

Orticumab: A first-in-class fully-human antibody that specifically binds to oxidized LDL with modified ApoB

Orticumab Inhibits Pro-Inflammatory Activity Of Plaque Macrophages By Activating An Inhibitory Cell Surface Receptor (Fc𝜸 Receptor II) And Thereby Down-Regulating NF-kB

Activated Microphage

Inhibited Macrophage

Plaque Targeted Action

Orticumab complexes with oxidized LDL and reduces macrophage activation thereby reducing plaque inflammation, vulnerability and size

Does this novel approach reduce coronary inflammation and CV events?

A new imaging test called the “Fat Attenuation Index” Score can now measure coronary inflammation for the first time and can predict cardiovascular events

Inflammation changes perivascular adipose tissue

Coronary inflammation causes changes in size and composition of perivascular adipose tissue surrounding the coronary arteries, even before plaques are visible on CCTA

Fat Attenuation Index (FAI) Score quantifies the magnitude of inflammation

Fat Attenuation Index (FAI) quantifies these changes—a precision imaging biomarker of coronary inflammation and shown as a 3D color map co-registered with the CCTA

High FAI Score is highly predictiveof cardiac events

High FAI is a strong predictor of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), suggesting it has value as a surrogate endpoint for the effect of anti-inflammatory treatment on cardiac outcomes

Orticumab significantly reduced coronary inflammation measured by FAI Score in a pilot phase 2a clinical trial

Presenting FORTIFY, an ongoing, multicenter, doubleblind, randomized, placebo-controlled phase 2b trial evaluating effect of orticumab on coronary inflammation after MI

Study Goal

To confirm activity of selected doses of Orticumab using FAI and ASCVD parameters

Study Design

40 sites across USA, UK and Europe
240 patients with history of type 1 MI with confirmed high FAI Score
Double-blinded randomization to 2 clinical dose arms and 2 placebo arms
Treatment duration 24 weeks
Primary endpoint: Reduction in FAI Score at 24 weeks

summary

Plaque inflammation drives CV events.

Direct and safe ways to reduce plaque inflammation are needed.

Orticumab is a plaque-targeted anti-inflammatory therapy.

By inhibiting pro-inflammatory macrophages within plaques, this new approach has the potential to reduce CV risk on top of current standard of care.

Orticumab works Differently

Orticumab’s localized Mechanism of action creates opportunity for Better safety, tolerability and efficacy versus systemic anti-inflammatory drugs

Orticumab’s Differentiation and First- and Best-In Class Potential

Physicians currently have limited treatment options for vascular inflammation
Orticumab inhibits inflammation locally within plaque, unlike other inflammatory targets that have systemic effects
Orticumab inhibits multiple complimentary inflammatory pathways that converge on atherosclerotic plaque
Treating inflammation locally has the potential to vastly improve safety relative to systemic approaches, resulting in a significant commercial advantage

Comparison of Coronary Inflammation Targets

	anti-oxLDL	Microtubule Polymerisation	IL-1β	IL-6
Class Inhibitors in ASCVD	Orticumab	Colchicine	Canakinumab	Ziltivekimab, Pacibekitug
Phase in ASCVD	Phase 2b	Marketed	Phase 3*	Phase 3
Target’s Role in Health?	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Site of Action (Anatomical Location	Local	Systemic	Systemic	Systemic
Breadth of Anti-Inflammatory Mechanism	Broad	Broad	Narrower	Narrowest
Known Class Safety Risks	None known to date	Frequent GI intolerance	Infections, neutropenia	Serious infections, cellulitis, atopic dermatitis, GI perforation

*development discontinued

In the News

Orticumab in Featured Publications

Below, find some of the most recent and relevant mentions of Abcentra and Orticumab in prestigious industry publications.

FEATURED
Orticumab: the potential to harness oxidized LDL to reduce coronary inflammation with plaque-targeted therapy
Farina, Christopher J. et al, 2025, Current Opinion in Lipidology August 2025

Targeting oxidized LDL improves insulin sensitivity and immune cell function in obese Rhesus macaques
Li, S. et al, 2013, Molecular Metabolism Volume 2, Issue 3, August 2013, Pages 256-269
Identification of the target for therapeutic recombinant anti-apoB100 peptide antibodies in human atherosclerotic lesions
Goncalves et al, 2009, Atherosclerosis Journal Volume 205, ISSUE 1, P96-100, July 01, 2009
Inhibition of injury-induced arterial remodeling and carotid atherosclerosis by recombinant human antibodies against aldehyde-modified apoB-100
Strom et al, 2007, Atherosclerosis Journal Volume 190, ISSUE 2, P298-305, February 01, 2007
Recombinant Antibodies to an Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein Epitope Induce Rapid Regression of Atherosclerosis in Apobec-1-/- /Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor-/- Mice
Schiopu et al, 2007, Journal of the American College of Cardiology Volume 50, Issue 24, December 2007
Recombinant human antibodies against aldehyde-modified apolipoprotein B-100 peptide sequences inhibit atherosclerosis
Schiopu et al, 2004, Circulation, American Heart Association Journals Vol 110, Issue 14. October 5, 2004
Inhibition of oxidized low-density lipoprotein with orticumab inhibits coronary inflammation and reduces residual inflammatory risk in psoriasis: a pilot randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial
Farina et al, 2024, European Society of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Research March 25, 2024
Orticumab: the potential to harness oxidized LDL to reduce coronary inflammation with plaque-targeted therapy
Farina, Christopher J. et al, 2025, Current Opinion in Lipidology August 2025

Get the Answers

frequently asked questions

What is the role of oxLDL in coronary artery disease?Ben Huizinga2024-03-07T15:56:42-05:00

What is the role of oxLDL in coronary artery disease?

Oxidized LDL is highly reactive and associated with cellular toxicity. It can accumulate in the arterial wall of blood vessels, especially the coronary arteries, and not only lead to the formation and growth of atherosclerotic plaques but also induce inflammation by activating macrophages. With its dual role in plaque formation and coronary artery inflammation, oxLDL is a key driver of atherosclerosis in coronary artery disease and crucial risk factor for acute coronary syndrome, including heart attacks.

What epitope does orticumab bind on oxLDL?Ben Huizinga2024-03-07T15:55:37-05:00

What epitope does orticumab bind on oxLDL?

Orticumab recognizes and binds a specific epitope of oxLDL, malondialdehyde (MDA)-modified apolipoproteinB-100.

What kind of molecule is orticumab?Ben Huizinga2024-03-07T15:54:47-05:00

What kind of molecule is orticumab?

Orticumab is a first-in-class fully-human IgG1 type antibody directed against a specific epitope of oxidized LDL (oxLDL), a key factor in arterial inflammation, formation, and destabilization of atherosclerotic plaques.

How does orticumab ameliorate local inflammation in coronary artery disease?Ben Huizinga2024-03-07T15:58:14-05:00

How does orticumab ameliorate local inflammation in coronary artery disease?

Orticumab recognizes and specifically binds a specific epitope of oxLDL. Binding of oxLDL by orticumab not only has the potential to directly reduce cytotoxic and atherosclerotic effects of oxLDL by leading to it sequestration and increased clearance. The immune complex formed by orticumab and oxLDL has also been demonstrated to reduce inflammation by inhibiting macrophage activation in atherosclerotic plaques. Both activities of orticumab have the potential to reduce atherosclerotic plaque burden and prevent major cardiovascular events, such as acute coronary syndrome and heart attack.

How is orticumab differentiated from other anti-inflammatory therapies?Ben Huizinga2024-03-30T00:51:31-04:00

How is orticumab differentiated from other anti-inflammatory therapies?

Current anti-inflammatory drugs take a systemic approach, affecting ubiquitous molecules such as tubulin or vital immune defence factors like the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-6. These non-targeted approaches not only raise safety concerns, particularly for vulnerable coronary artery disease patients, but they also do not address the root cause of coronary inflammation.

Orticumab acts directly at the site of coronary artery inflammation, binding to oxLDL and inhibiting local macrophage activation. This targeted approach may not only enhance treatment efficacy and success rates but also may minimize safety risks, making it an appealing therapy for patients in need.