Y-Biologics, a company specializing in antibody drugs, announced on the 13th that it has signed a new antibody technology transfer agreement with LigaChem Biosciences to develop next-generation antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) that are gaining attention as immune-modulating antibody conjugates (AIC).
Under this agreement, Y-Biologics will transfer exclusive rights to develop a new immune cancer antibody for global ADC development to LigaChem Biosciences. Immune cancer antibodies are designed to prevent cancer cells from evading the immune system or to help activate the immune system to attack cancer cells. Since there are currently no commercialized ADCs that attach immune system-activating drugs instead of cytotoxic agents while targeting cancer cells, global corporations are rushing to develop them.
Y-Biologics will receive advance payments, short-term milestones (royalty fees), development and commercialization milestones, and royalties based on revenue from LigaChem Biosciences. The specific scale and details of the contract will remain undisclosed due to business confidentiality.
Prior to this technology transfer agreement, the two companies also signed a material transfer agreement (MTA). They conducted a verification process to discover antibodies among over 100 billion human antibody libraries held by Y-Biologics that can optimally bind to LigaChem Biosciences' ADC platform. As a result, they finally selected an immune cancer antibody with characteristics that are abundantly expressed in various solid tumors and directly involved in immune system activation as the material for technology transfer.
The ADC that combines immune-activating drugs with the antibody can maximize synergistic effects in anti-cancer actions by activating immunity in a dual manner.
LigaChem Biosciences evaluated that it has secured antibodies for developing first-in-class ADC new drugs in cancer types with limited treatment options, such as lung cancer and colorectal cancer. The company plans to utilize this antibody for the development of AIC, which will be the first globally.
AIC is gaining attention as a next-generation ADC modality (treatment approach) that can amplify the efficacy of ADCs or immune cancer drugs that have shown limited effectiveness and address resistance to ADCs.
Park Young-woo, co-CEO of Y-Biologics, noted, "To overcome the low patient response rates and resistance issues of existing approved antibody immune cancer drugs, leading global pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical corporations are actively pursuing ADC new drug development by equipping them with new payloads of different mechanisms of action, in addition to existing payloads. The numerous undisclosed antibody portfolios that we have prepared and built over a long time will make this year a landmark at the global level, and we will focus on continuing additional technology transfer agreements with domestic and international ADC corporations."