Samsung C&T said on the 25th that it will invest in China's Phrontline Biopharma through a life sciences fund established with its subsidiaries Samsung Biologics, Samsung Bioepis, and Samsung Venture Investment.
Phrontline is a company with an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) platform technology and is developing ADC cancer drugs based on bispecific antibodies and dual payloads. ADCs, often called "cancer cell–seeking missiles," are anticancer therapies that find and attack only cancer cells. Recently, they have also been used in research on treatments for autoimmune diseases, not just cancer drugs.
An ADC has three key components: an antibody that seeks out cancer cells, a drug (payload) that kills the cancer cells, and a linker that connects them. While conventional ADC drugs use a single antibody, Phrontline is developing a method that attaches two drugs to a bispecific antibody. This can double the attack power on cancer cells and reduce drug resistance issues, drawing interest in the global market.
Phrontline is currently conducting global clinical trials of bispecific-antibody ADCs and is preparing clinical trials in the first quarter of next year for an ADC candidate that applies bispecific antibody and payload technologies.
Samsung plans to use this investment to identify promising future businesses and expand opportunities for core research collaboration in the ADC field.
In particular, Samsung Bioepis signed a joint research partnership agreement in Oct. with Phrontline for the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of ADC candidates. Under the agreement, Samsung Bioepis secured co-development rights for two Phrontline pipeline programs and an exclusive license to apply one payload to other development products. The investment further solidifies the companies' joint research collaboration structure.
Seo Min-jung, executive director and head of scouting at Samsung Bioepis, said, "Following our partnership with Phrontline, we are proceeding with the investment and will secure meaningful technological influence in the global ADC market," and added, "We plan to continue strengthening our readiness for future technologies through diverse partnerships and investments."