Ideaya Biosciences is paying $400M+ for an option on Biocytogen Pharmaceuticals’ potential first-in-class B7H3/PTK7 BsADC program. Antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) combine the specificity of monoclonal antibodies with cytotoxic drugs aimed at delivering highly targeted treatment. Biocytogen says B7H3/PTK7 is co-expressed in multiple solid tumor types, including having double-digit percent prevalence in lung, colorectal, and head and neck cancers, among others
Biocytogen leverages genetically engineered proprietary RenMice platforms for fully human monoclonal/bispecific/multispecific antibody discovery, bispecific antibody-drug conjugate discovery, nanobody discovery and TCR-mimic antibody discovery.
One of the most competitive fields in pharma today, the ADC market is estimated to be worth almost $20B already. Fifteen ADCs have already been FDA approved.The three front-runners in this field, Merck, AZ/Daiichi, and Gilead, have alone disclosed 33 Phase III trials It’s estimated that there are almost 60 overall in trials.
The field has momentum, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing. Among the bigger deals, in March of last year, Pfizer acquired ADC pioneer Seagen for $43 billion, a move that would double the big pharma’s early-stage oncology clinical pipeline. Also, in December of 2023, BMS signed an $8.4B ADC deal with SystImmune. Earlier that year, in October, Merck inked a $4B deal with Daiichi.
“The potential first-in-class B7H3/PTK7 topo-I-payload BsADC program has the potential to be developed as a monotherapy agent in multiple solid tumor types, and advances Ideaya’s broader corporate strategy to enable wholly-owned first-in-class rational combinations at the intersection of ADCs and small molecule DDR-based therapies to deliver greater benefit for patients,” said Yujiro S. Hata, president and CEO, Ideaya Biosciences.
Based on preclinical data, the B7H3/PTK7 topoisomerase-I-inhibitor-payload BsADC program has the potential to be developed as a monotherapy agent and used in combination with multiple programs in Ideaya’s pipeline targeting DDR-based therapies, including PARG inhibitor IDE161. A development candidate nomination for the B7H3/PTK7 topoisomerase-I-inhibitor payload BsADC program is targeted for the second half of 2024.
“We are thrilled to announce our collaboration with Ideaya to explore the promising combination of our potential first-in-class ADC and Ideaya DDR small molecules,” said Yuelei Shen, president and CEO of Biocytogen. “This partnership leverages our cutting-edge RenLite® platform and proprietary linker-payload technology to enhance the precision and potency of ADCs. Ideaya’s strong determination and rich experience in drug development make us confident that this therapy could be rapidly advanced to benefit patients.”
The agreement grants Ideaya an option for an exclusive worldwide license from Biocytogen for a potential first-in-class B7H3/PTK7 topo-I-payload BsADC program.
Under the terms of the agreement, Biocytogen will receive an upfront fee and upon an option exercise by IDEAYA, be entitled to receive an option exercise fee, development and regulatory milestones and commercial milestone.
