Biocytogen and Whitehawk Therapeutics have entered a global collaboration to develop bispecific antibody-drug conjugates (BsADCs), combining antibody discovery and conjugation technologies.
Under the agreement, Biocytogen will provide up to five bispecific antibody candidates generated using its RenLite platform, which is designed to produce fully human antibodies with a common light-chain format. Whitehawk will evaluate these antibodies using its proprietary linker-payload technologies for ADC development and may select candidates for further advancement.
Bispecific antibodies are engineered to bind two distinct targets, offering the potential to improve tumor targeting and therapeutic specificity. When combined with cytotoxic payloads in ADC formats, developers aim to enhance delivery of treatments to cancer cells while limiting off-target effects.
The collaboration allows Whitehawk to exercise options to advance selected BsADC candidates into its pipeline, with global rights and program control. Biocytogen will receive an upfront payment and may earn additional milestone payments tied to development, regulatory progress, and commercialization, along with low single-digit royalties on future sales. Financial details were not fully disclosed.
The RenLite platform is designed to address challenges in bispecific antibody development, including chain mispairing, by using a common light-chain structure. This approach can support more efficient screening and optimization of antibody candidates.
The agreement reflects continued interest in next-generation ADC approaches, including bispecific formats, as companies seek to improve targeting precision and expand the range of treatable cancers.
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