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LegoChem and Iksuda expand License Agreement for antibody drug conjugates

pharmafile | June 22, 2021 | News story | Manufacturing and Production ADC, License Agreement, deal, technology 

Iksuda Therapeutics, a developer of antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), has announced the expansion of the research collaboration and License Agreement with LegoChem Biosciences to explore additional ADC programmes utilising LegoChem’s ADC platform technology.

In April last year, Iksuda licensed global development and commercialisation rights for three ADC programmes using LegoChem’s ADC linker/toxin platform. Under the now expanded agreement, Iksuda has been granted rights for three additional targets, bringing the total number of potential ADC programmes using LegoChem’s ADC platform technologies to six.

Iksuda also gains access to LegoChem’s recently discovered novel DNA-modifying payload, supplementing LegoChem’s proprietary tumour-activated DNA toxins which were included in last year’s License Agreement.

Dr Yong-Zu Kim, CEO and President of LegoChem, said: “We have built a strong partnership with Iksuda through the multi-target ADC platform license and LCB73 (CD19 ADC) product license agreements, completed last April and May respectively. Our partnership has validated the superiority of LCB’s ADC platform technology and the competitive potential of IKS03 (formerly known as LCB73) as an innovative ADC drug. This validation has led to the execution of this expanded license agreement. We will continue to cooperate closely with Iksuda to accelerate the advancement of all LCB-related ADC candidates into clinic.”

Iksuda has recently announced the completion a $47 million financing round, co-led by Celltrion, Mirae Asset Capital and its subsidiaries, and Premier Partners to support the advancement of its lead ADC assets, including IKS03, and the expansion of its payload platform technologies.

In a release Iksuda stated that this expanded agreement with LegoChem enables research and development of a new class of payload, adding to Iksuda’s proprietary Protein Alkylating tumour-activated payload platform, licensed from Göttingen University.

Dr Dave Simpson, Chief Executive Officer of Iksuda Therapeutics, said: “During a successful partnership since signing the multi-target License Agreement last year, Iksuda has nominated two ADC candidates which leverage the differentiated advantages of LCBs prodrug payload technology, with preclinical development underway.

“We are excited to expand our research into next generation best-in-class ADCs through this wider arrangement with LCB which includes a new payload. We anticipate the discovery of additional candidates for Iksuda’s growing ADC pipeline as a result of this agreement.”

Kat Jenkins

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