Lonza and AbTis, a Korean biotech company focusing on the development of antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), agreed to work together on advancing the precision of bioconjugation strategies for novel bioconjugates-based therapies. The collaboration will connect Lonza’s Bioconjugates toolbox, which consists of tailored solutions for the technology selection, development, and manufacturing of bioconjugates, to AbTis’ AbClick® platform, which relies on a site-specific conjugation that can be used to conjugate various payloads to native monoclonal antibodies (mAbs).
The AbClick utilizes a cyclic peptide that binds to a specific site of the mAb, leading to precise conjugation and improved stability of the resulting antibody-drug conjugates, according to Jean-Christophe Hyvert, president, biologics, Lonza. The linker creates an isopeptide bond with a nearby lysine, providing improved stability and cleavage resistance, he added.
AbTis will gain access to Lonza’s offering for bioconjugates and expertise in developing and manufacturing bioconjugates.
“The AbClick platform of AbTis represents a unique and efficient way of site-selective conjugation of different payloads to native proteins,” said Hyvert. “It is an excellent addition to our Bioconjugates Toolbox, serving customers facing challenges related to the use of native mAbs to develop novel bioconjugates, such as ADCs.”
“AbClick enables site-selective conjugation to native, off-the-shelf antibodies with stable linkers and provides improved timelines and high therapeutic indexes of the resulting ADCs,” noted Sang Jeon Chung, CEO, AbTis. “Through the collaboration with Lonza, drug developers will gain an opportunity to use a powerful tool to speed up the overall conjugation and development process. In addition, AbTis’ technology enables the development of ADCs with a high therapeutic index, which may directly translate into better clinical outcomes.”
