Y-Biologics and Ubix Therapeutics to co-develop DAC drugs

Y-Biologics, an antibody drug discovery platform company, has agreed to collaborate with Ubix Therapeutics, a drug discovery company based on targeted protein degradation (TPD) technology, on developing degrader antibody conjugate (DAC) drugs.

According to Y-Biologics on Thursday, the agreement is a collaboration model between a biotech specializing in antibody drug discovery and one specializing in targeted protein degradation. It centers on the development of DAC drugs that combine antibodies discovered by Y-Biologics with Ubix Therapeutics' TPD technology.

Since its establishment in 2007, Y-Biologics has developed various biopharmaceutical drug candidates based on its proprietary antibody discovery platform. To date, it has concluded eight technology transfer agreements and is conducting various drug development projects, ranging from anticancer immunotherapies to autoimmune diseases using antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), bispecific antibodies, and cell therapeutics.

Founded in 2018, Ubix Therapeutics is a TPD drug development company with its drug discovery platform “Degraducer” technology. The company has established partnerships with SK biopharmaceuticals and Yuhan Corp. It recently signed a technology transfer agreement worth 150 billion won ($104 million) with Yuhan, attracted 25.7 billion won in pre-IPO funding, and is aiming for an initial public offering in the second half of this year.

TPD drugs are therapeutics that induce the selective degradation of target proteins in cells. They utilize bifunctional organic small molecules consisting of a target protein binding site, an E3 ubiquitin ligase binding site, and a linker connecting the two. TPD drugs are recognized as a next-generation technology that can target previously inaccessible disease targets and overcome drug resistance.

The DAC drug under development in this collaboration targets a specific protein that acts in the tumor microenvironment surrounding cancer cells. These proteins play a dual role in promoting cancer cell proliferation and inhibiting the function of immune cells. By effectively removing these proteins, DAC drugs are expected to have superior anticancer efficacy than existing therapies.

“By combining our degradation technology with Y-Biologics' antibody development platform, we will be able to take a step closer to developing next-generation anticancer drugs,” a Ubix Therapeutics official said. “Through this collaboration, we will quickly generate development results and accelerate our entry into the global market.”

A Y-Biologics official said, “This is a meaningful agreement to challenge the development of new drugs with a partner with innovative platform technology in the field of TPD. The synergy of our combined expertise will help us develop DACs with unique competitive advantages.”