Qurient, a Korean biotech firm, said it has signed a licensing agreement with Synaffix B.V., a clinical-stage antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) platform company and subsidiary of Lonza, to jointly develop dual payload ADCs.

Dual payload ADCs are designed to deliver two different payloads with distinct mechanisms of action to targeted cancer cells. This approach aims to enhance therapeutic efficacy while reducing the risk of drug resistance, offering particular promise for patients with refractory cancers. By minimizing toxicity to healthy tissue, the technology has the potential to expand treatment options for difficult-to-treat solid tumors.

Under the agreement, Qurient will combine its proprietary CDK7 inhibitor with Synaffix’s exatecan-based linker-payload technology to develop novel dual payload ADC candidates.

Qurient gains access to Synaffix’s suite of proprietary technologies, including the site-specific GlycoConnect ADC platform, HydraSpace polar spacer technology, and SYNtecan linker-payload system. In addition, Qurient will benefit from Lonza’s global expertise in bioconjugate manufacturing and development.

Lonza will be responsible for manufacturing components based on Synaffix’s exclusive technologies, while Qurient will oversee research, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of the ADCs, as well as the production of its own CDK7 inhibitor.

“Dual payload ADCs represent a new frontier for targeted antibody therapies,” said Qurient CEO Nam Ki-yean. “We expect to advance our CDK7 inhibitor in combination with Synaffix’s SYNtecan linker-payload into a successful program.”

The synergy between Qurient’s proprietary assets and Synaffix’s leading platforms can be applied across a wider range of targets and antibodies, and the company plans to continue exploring such possibilities, Kim added.

Peter van de Sande, Head of Synaffix, also said, “This collaboration with Qurient demonstrates the versatility and high value of our ADC platform technologies”

Enabling the development of dual payload ADCs reflects our commitment to pioneering innovation in the ADC field, Sande added.