Lotte Biologics said on the 11th that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Aptis, a subsidiary of Dong-A ST, to cooperate on next-generation antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) technology.
ADCs are a therapeutic technology that attaches drugs to antibodies to deliver them precisely to cancer cells. The core technologies are the antibody, the payload (drug) and the linker (connection technology) that links the two. For ADC production, antibody-linker-payload conjugation, purification of target substances and formulation development of ADC materials are important. Under the agreement, the two companies plan to jointly market by linking Aptis's third-generation linker technology AbClick platform with Lotte Biologics' conjugation manufacturing services at its Syracuse production facility in the United States.
They will also cooperate to expand the scope of Lotte Biologics' ADC toolbox. The ADC toolbox is a library that gathers Lotte Biologics' ADC-related technologies such as linkers and payloads. To build the ADC toolbox, the two companies also plan to conduct a preliminary feasibility study of the AbClick technology at the Syracuse facility.
AbClick(AbClick®) is a technology that can precisely attach drugs to specific sites on an antibody. Unlike conventional methods, it does not require deliberate modification of the antibody, and it helps reliably produce therapies with uniform quality by ensuring the drug always binds at the same site and in the same ratio.
Lotte Biologics provides an ADC toolbox service that allows selective use of various technologies according to customer needs, together with the SoluFlex Link technology. SoluFlex is an ADC platform based on linker technology jointly developed by Lotte Biologics and Canap Therapeutics. Through SoluFlex, the company aims to provide a one-stop service solution covering ADC development as well as manufacturing, clinical and commercial antibody production.
Park James, CEO of Lotte Biologics, said, "Through this agreement, we will become a company that contributes not only to the development of differentiated ADC therapeutics but ultimately to improving patients' quality of life." Han Tae-dong, CEO of Aptis, said, "We look forward to the partnership with Lotte Biologics, which entered the ADC field based on long-standing antibody production know-how."