Debiopharm Extends Collaboration with SunRock Biopharma for Antibody-Drug Conjugates Targeting HER3 in EGFR-Mutated Cancers
Tuesday, January 09, 2024
Debiopharm, a Swiss biopharmaceutical company specializing in cancer and infectious disease treatments, has secured an option for an exclusive licensing agreement with SunRock Biopharma. SunRock Biopharma, a Galician company supported by the regional government, Xunta de Galicia, focuses on developing bispecific antibodies for highly invasive tumors in oncology. This collaboration builds on their existing partnership initiated in September of the current year.
SunRock Biopharma plans to leverage Debiopharm's Multilink™ technology to enhance the production of a bispecific antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting HER3-EGFR, addressing critical clinical needs in oncology.
Debiopharm's Multilink™ technology is a cleavable linker platform designed for multidrug attachment, compatible with various conjugation technologies to create ADCs with a high drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR). This innovative technology ensures excellent stability in circulation, prevents premature drug release, and enhances treatment specificity and effectiveness.
Frederic Levy, Chief Scientific Officer of Debiopharm, emphasized the company's commitment to applying Multilink™ to complement licensed antibodies and create ADCs with optimal therapeutic effects. ADCs have gained significant momentum in cancer treatment over the past five years, combining targeted antibody specificity with cytotoxic payloads to minimize damage to healthy tissue.
The collaboration between Debiopharm and SunRock Biopharma represents a strategic effort to address highly aggressive cancers with critical clinical needs. Laureano Simón, CEO of SunRock Biopharma, expressed enthusiasm about merging bispecific antibody expertise with Debiopharm's cutting-edge Multilink™ technology, aiming to deliver more effective and targeted therapies to patients.
Source: businesswire.com
