Samsung Bioepis signed a definitive agreement with IntoCell(287840) for the first candidate in their Antibody-Drug Conjugate (ADC) anticancer drug co-development program. As a result, the companies will move in earnest to collaborate on subsequent development and commercialization of the candidate identified during the joint research stage.
Samsung Bioepis said on the 22nd that it signed a definitive agreement with IntoCell for the development and commercialization of the ADC candidate "SBE303."
The two companies signed a research agreement in Dec. 2023 to jointly identify up to five ADC candidates. The latest agreement is a follow-up covering the first candidate secured through that joint research.
SBE303 is a solid tumor therapy that targets the Nectin-4 protein and is currently in global phase 1 trials. Samsung Bioepis said at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting in April that it presented preclinical results for SBE303, noting it confirmed the potential to improve tumor cell-binding specificity and intracellular drug delivery efficiency compared with existing Nectin-4–targeting anticancer agents.
The contract includes milestone payments tied to development and sales stages, as well as royalties based on product revenue. However, the size of the deal and detailed terms were not disclosed.
Kim Kyung-ah, president of Samsung Bioepis, said, "This is a meaningful milestone in expanding our business into next-generation anticancer therapies through collaboration with domestic corporations," adding, "We will continue research and development to address unmet medical needs."
Park Tae-gyo, CEO of IntoCell, said, "We hope IntoCell's linker platform technology will achieve meaningful results in the global market," adding, "We will closely collaborate to develop the follow-up programs as well."