Swiss firm Alentis Therapeutics and South Korea based PinotBio have entered into a research collaboration and licensing agreement to discover and develop next-generation antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) to expand the potential of claudin-1 as a therapeutic target in oncology.
Claudin-1 is overexpressed in more than ten different tumor types, representing a significant opportunity for targeted cancer therapies. Alentis is the leader in developing claudin-1 targeted therapies, with two first-in-class ADC candidates in the clinic, while PinotBio has established itself as a leader in ADC innovation through its PINOT-ADC® platform offering a toolbox of novel linkers and payloads. The collaboration aims to combine PinotBio’s technologies with Alentis’ antibody portfolio to develop the next generation of claudin-1 targeting ADCs, tailored to overcome resistance mechanisms and address unmet needs across a wide variety of cancers.
Under the agreement, Alentis will have an exclusive option to in-license novel linkers and/or payloads from PinotBio for use in its development candidates. The agreement includes an upfront payment to PinotBio plus development, regulatory and commercial milestones, as well as royalties on net sales for each ADC candidate that Alentis elects to develop.
