Forging Fresh Bonds: Antibody-Drug Conjugates Attack Cancer Cells

In the ever-evolving world of biotechnology, collaborations are playing a significant role in driving advancements in Antibody-Drug Conjugate (ADC) technology. This innovative approach links cancer drug payloads to monoclonal antibodies, targeting tumor cells with precision.

Lonza, a leading player in the field, has recently collaborated with BigHat Biosciences, a Bay Area-based biotech company. This partnership aims to augment Lonza's ADC manufacturing capabilities. As part of the agreement, Lonza provides BigHat with access to its DNA-to-IND offering, enabling drug developers to receive necessary ADC batches leading up to the first clinical trial.

Meanwhile, Lonza has outsourced 78% of its ADC manufacturing services to experienced Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisations (CDMOs). This move underscores the complexity of ADC manufacturing and the need for expertise in the field.

ADC technology is gaining traction, with promising results being seen in the market. Enhertu, an ADC-based therapeutic developed by AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo, has achieved blockbuster status, with global sales exceeding $1.6 billion.

Several companies are making strides in the development of ADCs. Adcendo, a Copenhagen-based clinical stage ADC company founded in 2017, is one such example. Adcendo's lead program targets Tissue Factor (TF), an ADC target that is highly overexpressed in multiple epithelial cancers. The company's second clinical program targets uPARAP, an endocytic receptor that is highly overexpressed in mesenchymal cancers.

Araris Biotech, a Switzerland-based company, is another player in the ADC field. Araris focuses on developing its own ADC-payload linker technology called AraLinQ, which allows the addition of multiple payloads in a one-step conjugation process. Notably, AraLinQ's versatility allows for the combination of at least a dozen payload classes to enable rapid optimization for various cancer types. Araris was acquired by Taiho Pharmaceuticals for $1.14 billion this past March.

In addition to these developments, AI-focused multimodal biology company Noetik is making strides in the field. The company's AI models aim to inform the design of BOT/BAL's Phase III clinical trial. Noetik's OCTO model, composed of 1.5 billion parameters, is trained on multimodal datasets spanning spatial proteomics, spatial transcriptomics, H&E pathology, DNA genotyping, and clinical metadata from thousands of patients with various cancers.

Agenus, a clinical-stage immunotherapy company, is also collaborating with Noetik to identify actionable biomarkers that can predict which patients are most likely to benefit from BOT/BAL treatment. Agenus's lead immuno-oncology combination, botensilimab (BOT) and balstilimab (BAL), has shown clinical responses across nine metastatic, late-line cancers.

As of March 2024, 13 ADCs have received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, with more than 100 potential ADC drugs at different stages of clinical trials. The continued advancements in ADC technology hold promise for more targeted and effective treatments for cancer patients.