LegoChem Bioscience said it signed an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) joint research and development agreement with NextCure, a U.S. pharmaceutical company.

Under the accord, the two companies plan to discover new ADC anticancer drugs by utilizing Next Cure's B7-H4 antibody and LegoChem's ADC platform technology, and an option to designate two additional targets for ADC research and development.

According to LegoChem, the R&D costs and profits from commercialization will be equally distributed between the two companies.

"We are very happy to add a new treatment method to NextCure's B7-H4 program by utilizing LegoChem's leading global ADC technology," NextCure COO Timothy Mayer said.

LegoChem President Kim Yong-zu also said, "Through the collaboration with NextCure, we will continue to establish new ADC pipelines and demonstrate the potential of LegoChem Bio's differentiated ADC platform technology in various types of cancer."

As NextCure's B7-H4 is a target that is expressed in a large number of cancer types, LegoChem expects to potentially create opportunities for developing first-in-class treatments, Kim added.