South Korean-based biotech LegoChem Biosciences (LCB) revealed this week that it has entered a $1.25 billion research collaboration and license agreement with Amgen to develop up to 5 investigational antibody-drug conjugates.
Under the agreement, Amgen will have access to LCB’s proprietary ConjuAll ADC technology platform, which reveals optimized site-specific conjugation as well as selectively activating linker and payload technologies for ADCs.
According to LCB, ConjuAll helps to overcome the limitations associated with conventional ADCs-producing technologies, providing greater potency, safety, and stability which enables the development of ADCs with a wider therapeutic window and improved manufacturability.
It’s been a good month for ADCs, with pharma giant Merck announcing last week that it would be collaborating with China-based Kelun-Biotech to develop seven investigational preclinical antibody-drug conjugates for the treatment of cancer in a deal that could reach $9.3 billion.