Y-Biologics said Wednesday that it has signed a licensing-out deal with VaxCell Bio, a company specializing in anticancer immune cell therapies, for its anti-PD-L1 antibody “YBL-007” sequence.

Under the agreement, VaxCell Bio has the exclusive right to use the YBL-007 sequence in the research, development, and commercialization of CAR-T (chimeric antigen receptor T-cell) or CAR-NK (chimeric antigen receptor natural killer cell) therapeutics.

YBL-007 is an antibody that targets the immune checkpoint protein PD-L1. The antibody binds to PD-L1 on the surface of cancer cells. It inhibits PD-L1 from binding PD-1 on the surface of T-cells (immune cells), blocking the development of T-cell immune tolerance to tumor cells, increasing T-cell activity, and leading to antitumor activity. Roche's Tecentriq (atezolizumab) is a typical PD-L1 immuno-oncology drug.

"We have achieved technology transfer as a result of cooperation between antibody and cell therapy development companies," Y-Biologics CEO Park Young-woo said. “We will continue accumulating references that can create synergy between various biopharmaceuticals and antibodies."

Y-Biologics has made six technology transfers since its establishment. In 2020, the company signed technology transfer agreements with GI Innovation and China’s 3D Medicines. The same year, it transferred an ADC candidate co-developed with LegoChem Biosciences to Pixis Oncology in the U.S. and a new monoclonal antibody to Pierre Fabre in France in 2021. In September last year, it also transferred an antibody drug candidate co-developed with Wellmarker Bio to a foreign partner.