Y-Biologics, a Korean antibody drug development platform company, said it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with GI Cell, a Korean immune cell therapy developer, for the joint development of anti-cancer drugs using allogeneic CAR-NK cells.

Under the accord, the two companies aim to leverage Y-Biologics' antibody discovery platform and nanobody library to identify potential antibodies, which will then be integrated with GI Cell's unique CAR-NK cell development and large-scale culture technology.

According to Y-Biologics, the company is renowned for its comprehensive antibody drug development platforms, including the fully human antibody library Ymax-ABL and the pH-responsive antibody discovery technology for tumor microenvironment targeting.

Notably, the company has recently succeeded in developing Ymax-NANO, a fully human antibody nanobody library based on Ymax-ABL.

The company has also established the T-cell bispecific antibody platform ALiCE.

With this collaboration with GI Cell, Y-Biologics aims to advance into the fields of CAR-T, oncolytic virus, bispecific antibodies, ADCs, and radioimmunotherapy, offering key components for highly targeted pharmaceuticals.

GI Cell has demonstrated excellent tolerability and safety with its T.O.P. NK cell therapy pipeline in a completed Korean phase 1 clinical trial for solid and hematologic cancer patients.

Following the commencement of Phase 2a clinical trials in June, the company plans to continuously verify the safety and efficacy of its cell therapies. GI Cell expects that this collaboration will accelerate the expansion of its pipeline and the discovery of various new CAR-NK anti-cancer drug candidates.

"Our NK cell therapy, designed to express special chemokine receptors for better penetration into solid tumors, will combine with Y-Biologics' antibody platform to create a CAR-NK cell therapy that surpasses all existing treatments," GI Cell Chief Science Officer Jang Myoung-ho said.

Y-Biologics Co-CEO Park Young-woo also said, "Our company has focused on developing antibody drugs and collaborating on biopharmaceuticals that require targeted antibodies."

This partnership represents another innovation milestone, enabling both Y-Biologics and GI Cell to grow together, Park added.