On July 27, 2021 Byondis B.V., an independent, clinical stage biopharmaceutical company creating precision medicines, and Glycotope, a biotechnology company developing antibodies against proteins carrying tumor-specific carbohydrate structures, reported that have entered into a platform access agreement to discover and develop antibodies that target specific tumor-associated protein/carbohydrate combined glyco-epitopes (GlycoTargets) (Press release, Glycotope, JUL 27, 2021, View Source [SID1234585210]).
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Under the terms of the platform access agreement, Byondis has gained exclusive rights to evaluate and develop antibodies against selected novel GlycoTargets, with the option to in-license these antibodies for development as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). Specific financial terms have not been disclosed.
"Selective tumor targeting is key to maximize the potential of our linker-drug platforms to generate effective ADCs with low systemic toxicity. The antibodies generated by Glycotope are designed to deliver very high tumor selectivity. We are excited to join forces and align our highly complementary technologies to provide effective and safe ADCs for the benefit of cancer patients," said Byondis Chief Scientific Officer Wim Dokter, Ph.D.
"This agreement with Byondis highlights the potential of our GlycoTarget discovery and technology platform," said Henner Kollenberg, Managing Director of Glycotope. "GlycoTargets are a unique class of highly tumor-specific antigens that offer reduced on-target / off-tumor toxicities. We believe that combining antibodies against these GlycoTargets with Byondis’ linker-drug platform has great potential to produce novel treatments for people suffering from diseases for which no adequate medical treatment option has been found so far."
Glycosylation is strongly altered in cancer cells, reflecting the drastic changes in tumor metabolism, which results in new, highly tumor-specific epitopes (GlycoTargets). Specific antibodies against these GlycoTargets might be highly cancer specific and have the potential to target a broad range of oncology indications.
To improve the cell-killing capability of antibodies, cytotoxic drugs can be attached to the antibodies using a linker molecule, forming ADCs. While earlier generation ADCs improved targeting and cell killing, they were unstable in the bloodstream, leading to premature release of the cytotoxic payload, impacting healthy tissue and narrowing the therapeutic window. Byondis’ next generation ADCs are highly stable in circulation and carry an intricate, inactivated and potent cytotoxic drug that rapidly self-destructs if it is prematurely released, limiting damage to healthy tissue and improving the therapeutic window.