ST Pharm and LegoChem Biosciences have entered into a contract for joint research and manufacturing of antibody drug conjugate (ADC) linkers.
Under the accord, ST Pharm plans to provide contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) services covering the entire production process based on current good manufacturing practice (cGMP), from process optimization research to production for a portion of the linkers essential to LegoChem's ADC ConjuALL platform.
LegoChem, known for its distinctive R&D capabilities in ADC technology and synthetic new drug development, has so far secured 13 technology transfer contracts with global pharmaceutical companies, amounting to a maximum of 8.7 trillion won ($6.6 billion).
LegoChem's ADC platform technology has been verified for its high efficacy and low side effects in recent clinical trials. Compared to existing technologies, it offers significant advantages, such as improved stability in the bloodstream and specific release within cancer cells.
ST Pharm, a specialty company in raw pharmaceuticals certified by the U.S. FDA for cGMP, possesses the technology to mass-produce from small clinical trial samples to ton-scale commercial quantities.
With experience producing more than 50 tons of low molecular weight pharmaceutical raw materials annually and accumulated technical know-how, ST Pharm is the only CDMO globally to have received cGMP certification from the U.S. FDA for both low molecular weight pharmaceutical raw materials and oligo pharmaceutical raw materials.
"ST Pharm is a CDMO specializing in cGMP APIs and has proven its production capabilities by collaborating with multinational pharmaceutical companies," ST Pharm CEO Kim Kyung-jin said. "We will do our best to provide a stable supply of ADC linkers to LegoChem based on our excellent technology and quality control capabilities."
LegoChem CEO Kim Yong-zu also said, "Through this collaboration with ST Pharm, domestic procurement of the core components of our ADC linkers is now possible, and a domestic supply chain is being established for all the major components of ADCs, including antibodies, linkers, and payloads."
The company will continue to work closely with domestic companies with excellent process development and manufacturing capabilities, such as ST Pharm, for mutual growth, Kim added.