ABL Bio, which is developing new drugs based on a dual antibody platform, noted that it is in discussions with a global top-tier pharmaceutical company regarding technology transfer.
On the 23rd, ABL Bio representative Lee Sang-hoon disclosed the progress of technology transfer discussions regarding the dual antibody candidate substances during an online business briefing for investors.
According to him, the target for technology transfer is the 'Grabody-B' platform, which penetrates the blood-brain barrier, or the 'Grabody-T' dual antibody platform based on 4-1BB.
Lee said, "During a meeting held during the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference (JPM 2025) this month, global big pharmaceutical companies indicated they no longer needed to validate the clinical data of Grabody B and Grabody T." He expressed confidence in the technology transfer's success. However, he added that he could not disclose the specific timing and scale of the technology transfer, stating, "We are proceeding as quickly as possible."
ABL Bio aims to secure sustainability by exporting a platform that can be applied to various pipelines, rather than just the export of specific candidate substance technologies based on this technology transfer contract.
Earlier, ABL Bio exported the Parkinson's disease treatment 'ABL301' to the global pharmaceutical company Sanofi for up to 1.2 trillion won in 2022. Lee pointed out that "Sanofi's continuation of developing ABL301 using Grabody B demonstrates ABL Bio's platform technology capabilities," and added, "We will engage in a validated contract rather than a simple material transfer agreement."
Lee expressed confidence in the Grabody-B platform, which attaches a blood-brain barrier (BBB) shuttle to antibodies.
The ABL301, currently under development by the company, is a pipeline based on Grabody-B. The BBB shuttle helps drugs pass through the thick and dense blood-brain barrier (BBB) more effectively. The global pharmaceutical company Roche is also developing 'Trontinemab' with a BBB shuttle as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease.
Lee explained that "most antibodies utilizing the BBB shuttle use the transferrin receptor (TfR), while Grabody-B employs the IGF1R. As aging occurs, TfR expression decreases, whereas IGF1 receptors do not decrease, maintaining efficacy," stating that it is "a technology that will open a new era in the treatment of brain diseases."
He also partially revealed that non-clinical results indicated that attaching Grabody-B allowed more drugs to enter the brain tissue. The company believes that Grabody-B will also reduce the side effects of the ARIA (Amyloid-Related Imaging Abnormalities) associated with the treatment of brain diseases. ARIA occurs when the blood vessel walls are damaged during the process of removing the harmful protein 'amyloid beta' that causes Alzheimer's disease. Common symptoms include cerebral hemorrhage and brain edema.
Lee explained that "when drugs adhere to vascular amyloid plaques, side effects occur, but if enough drugs enter the brain tissue, the side effects are expected to naturally decrease." Detailed data will be revealed at a conference next month.
The primary indicators (top-line) of the clinical phase 2 and 3 results of the dual antibody cancer drug candidate ABL001 will be announced at the end of March. The company's U.S. partner, Compass Therapeutics, plans to reveal the clinical phase 2 and 3 results for ABL001 in cholangiocarcinoma. Lee noted, "If the results are positive, the potential for approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a secondary treatment for cholangiocarcinoma will increase," adding that "there is great potential for expansion as clinical trials are being conducted to confirm ABL001 as a primary treatment at the University of Texas MD Anderson."
The development of the dual antibody antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) will be carried out through the U.S. subsidiary ABL Bio USA. Lee stated, "We have selected two final candidates for CEO of the U.S. subsidiary and will complete the selection by March," and added, "The listing of ABL Bio USA on NASDAQ and the sale to a global big pharmaceutical company are also being considered."