Synaffix, a Lonza company focused on commercializing its clinical-stage platform technology for the development of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) with best-in-class therapeutic index, announces a licensing agreement to develop bispecific ADCs with ABL Bio, Inc. (KOSDAQ: 298380), a clinical-stage biotech developing bispecific antibody technology for immuno-oncology and neurodegenerative diseases.
Synaffix will receive an upfront payment, milestone payments and tiered royalties on net sales of resulting products and will be responsible for manufacturing components specifically related to its proprietary technologies. ABL Bio will be responsible for the research, development, and commercialization of any bispecific ADCs developed under the agreement. Following the recent acquisition of Synaffix by Lonza, ABL Bio considers Lonza as a potential partner for clinical production of the antibody to be used in the first program, underscoring the strong and immediate post-merger synergies. The first program will commence upon deal signature with options exercisable for up to two additional programs over time.
ADCs prepared from bispecific antibodies are designed to overcome the limitations of conventional therapeutic ADCs that target only a single antigen on the targeted cancer cell. By designing ADCs that must bind to two different targets in order to produce a therapeutic effect, it is possible to target cancerous cells more specifically and further improve the therapeutic safety profile.
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