Companies to focus on developing trispecific antibodies

over bispecific antibodies

Shaperon·Celltrion·ISU Abxis are developing multi-targeted antibodies

Gilead Sciencs·Sanofi·MSD are discovering candidates through licensing agreements

The pharmaceutical industry in South Korea and overseas has begun developing trispecific antibodies that bind three targets.

 

Previously, these companies focused on bispecific antibodies, which can bind simultaneously to two different antigens or two antigenic epitopes on a single antigen.

 

Crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB) can increase the drug permeability, especially for anticancer drugs.

 

Multi-targeted antibodies have the advantage of crossing the BBB by target binding to receptors on the BBB surface.

 

Recently, more companies have begun developing multi-targeted antibodies by matching antibodies that bind to both antigens regulating immune cell activity and specific antigens on tumor cells.

 

Korean biotech companies, such as Shaperon, Celltrion, and ISU Abxis, and global pharmaceutical companies, including Gilead Sciences and Sanofi, have begun developing these.

 

Korean biopharmas are developing trispecific antibodies According to industry sources on June 28th, Shaperon recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Dong-A ST to develop trispecific antibodies as part of a new drug development.

 

Through this collaboration, Shaperon will be responsible for nanobody development and Dong-A ST will use its antibody commercialization technology to focus on new global drug development.

 

Since 2021, two companies have collaborated on developing trispecific nanobody antibodies for the treatment of cancer.

 

This technology uses nanoantibodies to bring T cells and cancer cells closer together.

 

Using nanobody advantages, Shaperon is developing nanobody-based various protein pharmaceuticals, including antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) and radiopharmaceuticals.

 

Last year, Celltrion started developing trispecific antibodies in collaboration with Cyron Therapeutics, specializing in antibody development.

 

These companies plan to develop new drugs using the CD3-targeting T-cell-engagers (TCE) platform.

 

TCE multi-targeted antibodies are treatments that induce anticancer effects by effectively attacking cancer cells through T-cells.

 

Recently, many global pharmaceutical companies are exploring the potential of TCE multi-targeted antibody development.

 

However, no TCE-targeting multi-targeted antibodies have been commercialized.

 

ISU Abxis is also developing immunotherapy for cancer using its trispecific antibody platform.

 

For this research, ISU Abxis signed a substance transfer contract with Biocytogen, China’s global biotech company, and obtained a CD40 antibody in 2021.

 

Biocytogen’s ‘YH003,’ a CD40 antibody new drug candidate, is under phase 2 clinical trial.

 

ISU Abxis is preparing to develop a trispecific antibody using ‘YH003’ and its antibodies.

 

Korean and global pharmaceutical companies that develop trispecific antibodies: (Korean companies) Shaperon recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Dong-A ST, Celltrion started developing a T-cell-engagers (TCE) platform in collaboration with Cyron Therapeutics, and ISU Abxis acquired CD40 antibody from China’s Biocytogen.

 

(Global companies) Sanofi acquired Amunix Pharmaceuticals and secured a T-cell-engagers (TCE) platform.

 

Gilead Sciences discovered a TAA bispecific antibody in collaboration with a Dutch biotech company, Merus.

 

MSD acquired the U.S.-based Harpoon Therapeutics and secured a trispecific T-cell engagers (TCE) platform.

Global pharmaceutical companies are also developing…still in the early phases of clinical trials Global pharmaceutical companies are also developing trispecific antibodies, superior to bispecific antibodies.

 

However, these companies’ R&D of multi-targeted antibodies is still in the early phases.

 

Most new drug candidates remain in the early phases of clinical trials.

 

Sanofi is developing a multi-targeted antibody that targets HER2.

 

In 2021, Sanofi acquired Amunix Pharmaceuticals, a U.S.-based biotech company, for US$1 billion (approximately KRW 1.2 trillion).

 

Amunix Pharmaceuticals is developing ‘AMX-818,’ a HER-2-targeting TEC that activates immune responses and attacks cancer cells.

 

Gilead Sciences began developing trispecific antibody for cancer in March in collaboration with a Dutch biotech company, Merus.

 

These companies will conduct joint research to discover novel tumor-associated antigen (TAA) bispecific antibodies.

 

Merus owns a trispecific antibody platform called Triclonics, which is analyzed to have the potential for developing antibodies that bind three targets simultaneously.

 

MSD is developing trispecific antibodies through the U.S.-based Harpoon Therapeutics, which MSD acquired in January.

 

Harpoon Therapeutics owns the trispecific TCE platform, bispecific antibody, and cell therapy technology.

 

SystImmune is conducting three cases of a phase 1 trial for a trispecific antibody in collaboration with China’s biotech company.