Ablexis, LLC’s Post

Industry Spotlight: Antibody Drug Conjugates ADCs are a hot topic in the industry, with billions in acquisitions and deals recently announced. The Next Generation of ADCs will focus on payload and linker development, according to this article by Hayley Shasteen https://lnkd.in/eyZK2tmu At evitria, we're producing more and more biosimilars for ADC proof of concept studies - rapidly delivered, in your custom buffer, and at your specified concentration, these enable you to move straight into conjugation studies, and advance your program. With Enhertu - "an old antibody with an old linker with a different payload” - generating c. $2.4 Bn in revenue this year, there's no time to wait! Exploring ADCs? Get in touch with evitria for a confidential discussion: https://lnkd.in/eB4mcxN

Did you know that PROTACs can be combined with antibodies and used as payloads to create a promising new class of antibody drug conjugates (ADCs)? Read this recent publication for an overview of several novel ADC payloads with better stability, efficacy, and safety. https://lnkd.in/gYXtXPc7

𝗕𝗶𝗼𝗡𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵, 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗿𝘆, 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗪𝘂𝗫𝗶 $𝟮𝟬𝗠 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟮 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗰𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗯𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀 BioNTech SE is continuing to add to its sprawling R&D portfolio without denting its cash mountain. Chinese service provider WuXi Biologics is the latest company to feed the biotech’s appetite for assets, accepting a $20 million offer for monoclonal antibodies against two undisclosed targets. Sitting on 17.5 billion euros ($19.2 billion) from its COVID-19 vaccine, the German biotech has built an oncology pipeline that features 20 clinical-phase assets and covers a range of modalities including mRNA therapeutics, cell therapies, antibody-drug conjugates and bispecifics. The R&D pipeline is the product of a series of deals. BioNTech reached further back into the drug development process for its latest deal. Having repeatedly picked up clinical drug candidates last year, the biotech began 2024 by paying WuXi Biologics $20 million for exclusive rights to preclinical monoclonal antibodies against two undisclosed targets.  https://lnkd.in/dhRNDeSP

Maximizing the power of #antibodies with #PROTACs conjugates is a super exciting new approach for novel ADC payloads! Several other strategies are explored in this review where the authors state: "Given the promising results, PROTAC‒ADC is an important direction for future ADC drug development" #drugdevelopment #drugdiscovery #ADC #PROTACs

Gene&Cell Therapy >> BioNTech pays $20M upfront for two monoclonal antibodies from China's WuXi Biologics: BioNTech is paying out $20 million upfront to another Chinese partner in exchange for the rights to develop two preclinical monoclonal antibodies, this time with CRDMO WuXi Biologics. The deal also includes research, development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments, plus tiered royalties for the Shanghai-based company, which will use its antibody discovery technology platforms to discover the antibodies. While the targets of the latest deal with WuXi are still undisclosed, BioNTech has been building up its presence in the cancer space after making a name as a top Covid mRNA vaccine developer, with TD Cowen’s Yaron Werber noting in November that BioNTech has assembled “one of the most extensive” oncology portfolios in biotech. During BioNTech’s Innovation Day in November, executives spent hours discussing data from a variety of antibody-drug conjugates, bispecifics, CAR-Ts and vaccines for cancer. The German biotech paid $55 million upfront to collaborate with Biotheus in November in return for the global ex-China license of PM8002, a bispecific simultaneously targeting PD-L1 and VEGF now being tested in Phase II studies in China. Biotheus could also get more than $1 billion more in milestone payments. BioNTech also partnered with Biotheus in July for a preclinical bispecific and a clinical-stage monoclonal antibody for undisclosed cancer targets in exchange for an upfront payment. Then in September, BioNTech started a Phase III trial for its antibody-drug conjugate aimed at patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-low breast cancer whose disease has progressed on at least two lines of prior endocrine therapies or within six months of first-line endocrine therapy and CDK4/6 inhibitor in the metastatic setting. That antibody-drug conjugate was licensed from China’s DualityBio for $170 million upfront last year. #lucidquest #genetherapy #celltherapy

Antibody Therapeutics (indexed by ESCI and Scopus, 2023 CiteScore: 8.7) just published a new article (currently in accepted manuscript format). The authors from Biologics Innovation Institute, Shanghai Jemincare Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. discovered a common light chain bispecific antibody targeting PD-1 and PD-L1 with favorable biophysical properties and potent efficacy. Notably, they have developed a unique and flexible H2PtY (Hybridoma-to-Phage-to-Yeast) platform for the generation of common light chain bispecific antibodies targeting a given pair of targets. The two co-corresponding authors are Dr. Haixiang (Harry) Yu, Head of Biologics Division, Jemincare, and Dr. Sujun Deng, Biologics Discovery VP, also at Jemincare. #antibodies #antibody #antibodytherapeutics #mabs #mab #biologics #bispecific #bispecificantibody #bispecificantibodies

A recently published paper from Confo Therapeutics-, University of Geneva-, Vrije Universiteit Brussel-based authors and their colleagues reports the structural basis of μ-opioid receptor targeting by a nanobody antagonist. From the abstract: The μ-opioid receptor (μOR), a prototypical G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), is the target of opioid analgesics such as morphine and fentanyl. Due to the severe side effects of current opioid drugs, there is considerable interest in developing novel modulators of μOR function. Most GPCR ligands today are small molecules, however biologics, including antibodies and nanobodies, represent alternative therapeutics with clear advantages such as affinity and target selectivity. Here, we describe the nanobody NbE, which selectively binds to the μOR and acts as an antagonist. We functionally characterize NbE as an extracellular and genetically encoded μOR ligand and uncover the molecular basis for μOR antagonism by determining the cryo-EM structure of the NbE-μOR complex. NbE displays a unique ligand binding mode and achieves μOR selectivity by interactions with the orthosteric pocket and extracellular receptor loops. Based on a β-hairpin loop formed by NbE that deeply protrudes into the μOR, we design linear and cyclic peptide analogs that recapitulate NbE’s antagonism. The work illustrates the potential of nanobodies to uniquely engage with GPCRs and describes lower molecular weight μOR ligands that can serve as a basis for therapeutic developments. #mabs #VHH #nanobody https://lnkd.in/gDsWGR9z

Developing an Antibody Drug Conjugate? Check out this great article by EirGenix, Inc. on "Current trends and innovations in the development of ADCs!" #ADC #ADCs #CDMO #mAb #CMO #EirGenix #FormosaLabs

Exelixis has discontinued the development of XB002 (TF ADC; ZymeLink Auristatin + Iconic's antibody) due to data suggesting it is unlikely to surpass tisotumab vedotin or other TF-targeting ADCs currently in development. However, the preclinical development of XB371, an ADC with a topoisomerase payload conjugated to a TF-targeting monoclonal antibody, is ongoing. Additionally, XB010 (5T4 ADC; Catalent's SMARTag + Invenra's antibody + MMAE) has entered Phase 1 clinical trials. Patient enrollment for the Phase 3 STELLAR-303 study of zanzalintinib is complete. This study compares zanzalintinib plus atezolizumab to regorafenib in metastatic refractory CRC patients without ㅡMSI-high or dMMR. The primary endpoint is overall survival in patients without liver metastases. https://lnkd.in/gbTbE7dV

Are you currently involved in the development of Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs)? 🧪 EirGenix, a leading biopharmaceutical CDMO, has released a blog post that delves into the latest trends and innovations in ADC development. Let’s break it down: Linker Technology: ADCs rely on precise linkers to connect antibodies and drug payloads. EirGenix’s blog post discusses advancements in linker design, stability, and selectivity. Drug Payloads: The magic happens here! EirGenix explores novel drug payloads—those potent compounds carried by ADCs. From cytotoxins to immune modulators, understanding the right payload is crucial. Manufacturing: Efficient production matters. EirGenix, in collaboration with its partner and key investor, Formosa Labs, brings expertise in ADC manufacturing. Their regulatory credentials ensure quality and compliance. 📚 Read the full article on EirGenix’s Knowledge Platform. If you find it insightful, consider subscribing and spreading the word! 🌟 https://lnkd.in/dwzA8EjC