Proteina(468530) said on the 15th that it signed a strategic business agreement (MOU) for next-generation anticancer drug development with JEIL PHARMACEUTICAL(271980) subsidiary Onconic Therapeutics(476060).
Through this agreement, the two companies will jointly research molecular glue–based drugs, a next-generation targeted protein degradation (TPD) technology. They also plan to cooperate on building related platforms for developing antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates (AOC) and degrader-antibody conjugates (DAC) in the next-generation antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) field.
The strategy is to combine Proteina's antibody design technology with Onconic Therapeutics' anticancer drug research and development capabilities to raise the efficiency and likelihood of success in candidate discovery.
Molecular glues are a new drug technology in which efficacy depends on whether a "ternary complex" is formed that links the target protein to the protein degradation mechanism. However, because the technology to quantify this is highly challenging, it is cited as a core task in new drug development.
The two companies will also join forces to develop a next-generation ADC platform. AOC and DAC are drawing attention as next-generation modalities (drug delivery methods) that can supplement the limits of existing cytotoxic anticancer agent–based ADCs. As binding strength and stability vary greatly depending on the combination of antibody, linker, and payload (drug), they noted that technology to precisely analyze protein-protein interactions (PPI) from the early stages of development is important.
Proteina plans to use this collaboration as a springboard to expand the scope of its technologies beyond its in-house drug pipeline and AI antibody design business into next-generation modality drug development. It aims to verify platform applicability in new modalities such as protein degraders and ADCs as well as antibodies, broadening opportunities for global joint research.
Onconic Therapeutics is a new drug research and development company that developed and commercialized the gastroesophageal reflux disease treatment "Ja Q Bo." It has development experience across nonclinical, clinical, and chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC), and is currently developing a dual-target anticancer agent based on synthetic lethality and payload technologies for targeted anticancer agents for ADCs.
Yun Tae-young, CEO of Proteina, said, "For both molecular glues and next-generation ADCs, success or failure hinges on how precisely protein-protein interactions are analyzed," adding, "We expect Proteina's platform combined with Onconic Therapeutics' anticancer drug development experience to lead to tangible candidate discovery."
Kim John, CEO of Onconic Therapeutics, said, "This joint research is meaningful in that it is an open collaboration based on an equal partnership between biotechs that each have core technologies, rather than conventional open innovation in which big pharma adopts biotech technologies," adding, "We expect it will serve as a catalyst to rapidly develop next-generation global innovative drug candidates in Korea."