Aimed Bio said it signed a joint development deal with Sovargen, an oligonucleotide new drug development corporations, to develop antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates (AOC) and will make an equity investment in parallel. The investment amount was not disclosed.
AOC is a next-generation modality that combines the ADC concept, which uses antibodies to deliver drugs to specific cells, with oligo technology that regulates gene expression.
Oligonucleotides refer to relatively short fragments of DNA or RNA. They are generally composed of several dozen nucleotides and are characterized by the ability to selectively regulate the expression of specific genes. This substance is drawing attention as a next-generation therapy, used to suppress the action of disease-causing genes in the body or to correct altered genetic information.
The core of this agreement is to explore the possibility of expanding existing antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) into AOCs capable of regulating gene expression by combining Aimed Bio's patient-derived cell-based antibody and target discovery capabilities with Sovargen's oligo design and manufacturing technology. The two companies plan to explore the applicability of AOCs for cancer as well as metabolic diseases, immune diseases, and rare diseases.
Sovargen recently signed a technology transfer deal for an epilepsy ASO therapy with Italy's Angelini Pharma worth a total of 750 billion won, demonstrating its global competitiveness. ASO (antisense oligonucleotide) therapies are gene-targeted treatments that bind to the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) of specific genes to suppress or regulate protein production.
An Aimed Bio official said, "We will maximize the technological synergy of both companies through joint development and a strategic cooperation structure," adding, "Based on our existing ADC capabilities, we will continue to pursue technical expansion into next-generation modalities."