Netherlands-based biotechnology company Synaffix has entered into a Commercial License Agreement with ADC Therapeutics for its proprietary site-specific antibody-drug conjugate technologies. The company is exclusively focused on the continued advancement of best-in-class antibody-drug conjugate technology platforms.
ADC Therapeutics is focused on the development of proprietary antibody-drug conjugates incorporating highly potent pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD)-based warheads. The company’s clinical and preclinical programs target major types of both hematological malignancies and solid tumors. ADC Therapeutics lead programs, ADCT-301 and ADCT402, are in four phase I clinical trials for certain subtypes of lymphoma and leukemia.
…We look forward to working closely with the ADC Therapeutics… to advance … promising therapeutics to the patients who need them…
Technology platforms
Synaffix’ technology platforms includes GlycoConnect, the site-specific and stable antibody conjugation technology that involves proprietary enzymes and metal-free click conjugation reagents, and HydraSpace, the antibody-drug conjugate enhancing spacer technology.
GlycoConnect was shown to be capable of significantly enhancing the therapeutic index of an antibody-drug conjugate on its own. In addition, the highly polar properties of HydraSpace improve the solubility and stability of the payload and the resulting antibody-drug conjugate product, thus enhancing further the therapeutic index of the antibody-drug conjugate.
Both technologies have demonstrated compatibility with all antibody-drug conjugate payload classes and all IgG isotypes without requiring antibody engineering.
Agreement
Under the terms of the agreement, ADC Therapeutics has been granted a single-target license for one of its preclinical programs and has also been granted an option to take a limited number of additional single-target licenses for potential future programs. Synaffix is also eligible to receive upfront, milestone and royalty payments on a per-target basis.
“We are delighted that ADC Therapeutics has recognized the value of our proprietary antibody-drug conjugate technologies and has elected to incorporate Synaffix technology into one of its preclinical programs,” noted Floris van Delft, CSO at Synaffix.
“The experience of Synaffix and its partners has consistently confirmed that, in preclinical models, our proprietary GlycoConnect™ and HydraSpace™ technologies significantly improved both efficacy and safety as compared to other mainstream site-specific conjugation approaches,” Van Delft added.
“We look forward to working closely with the ADC Therapeutics team to advance these promising therapeutics to the patients who need them,” Van Delft concluded.
Synaffix is backed by a top tier, life science-focused investor syndicate including Aravis, BioGeneration Ventures, BOM Capital and Merck Ventures, the strategic corporate venture capital fund of Merck.
