LigaChem Biosciences inks 2 ADC tech transfer deals with Ono Pharmaceutical

LigaChem Biosciences announced on Thursday that it has entered into two technology transfer agreements with Ono Pharmaceutical. In addition to a license agreement for LCB97, a non-clinical stage first-in-class ADC targeting various solid cancers, the companies signed a collaborative research and technology transfer agreement for the discovery and development of ADC candidates using LigaChem's proprietary ADC platform, ConjuAll™.

LCB97 is an ADC discovered and developed based on LigaChem's proprietary ConjuAll™ ADC source technology, targeting the L1 cell adhesion molecule (L1CAM), which is known to be overexpressed in various solid tumors. LCB97 has demonstrated outstanding anti-cancer effects in various tumor mouse models conducted to date.

Under the agreement, Ono Pharmaceutical will have exclusive global development and commercialization rights to LCB97 for solid tumors. Ono will pay LigaChem Biosciences up to $700 million in upfront payments, R&D and sales milestones, as well as royalties based on net sales after commercialization.

Additionally, Ono Pharmaceutical and LigaChem Biosciences have signed a joint research and license agreement for LigaChem's next-generation ADC platform technology. Under this agreement, Ono will have exclusive global rights to use LigaChem's ConjuAll™ platform technology to discover and develop ADC candidates against multiple targets of its choice. Ono will provide LigaChem with an upfront payment for target exclusivity, milestones for R&D and commercialization, and separate royalties based on net sales.