Pinobio Develops ADC Technology for Sale to Celltrion with Government Support

Pinobio, a biotech specializing in targeted anticancer drugs and antibody-drug conjugates (ADC), announced on the 27th that it has been selected for the "2023 Commercialization Technology Development Project Linked to Procurement," hosted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. Pinobio will receive a total of 500 million KRW in support over the next two years to develop a linker optimized for next-generation ADC manufacturing. This linker technology aims to minimize side effects commonly observed in patients treated with ADCs, such as interstitial lung disease (ILD).

Pinobio CI
Photo by Pinobio

The linker is one of the core components of ADC technology. As the name suggests, ADCs are pharmaceuticals that conjugate antibodies and drugs, consisting of an antibody that binds to cancer antigens and a cytotoxic drug (payload) connected by a linker. Like a missile (linker) equipped with radar (antigen) and carrying a bomb (payload), it can effectively attack cancer cells, making it a promising next-generation anticancer technology.

However, conversely, if the missile explodes before reaching the target, meaning the payload detaches before reaching the cancer cells, it can cause side effects such as liver toxicity. In fact, Pfizer's 'Mylotarg,' the first ADC approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2010, had its approval withdrawn due to toxicity issues but was later reapproved after resolving them. Therefore, to develop safe ADCs, it is essential to have linker technology that can properly deliver the payload. Additionally, Pinobio has developed 'PinoADC' technology using camptothecin-based drugs that can suppress cancer cell apoptosis protein expression even at low concentrations from the payload perspective.

The characteristic of this commercialization technology development project, which provides a total support of 111.9 billion KRW including Pinobio, is that it supports the development of technologies with pre-secured demand. From the application stage, there must be a commitment from the demand company to adopt the developed technology for the application to be accepted. Pinobio resolved this through ongoing collaboration with Celltrion since October last year. Celltrion has signed a purchase agreement to buy the linker technology from Pinobio at a reasonable price. Furthermore, according to the agreement of this project, an in-kind contribution of a certain amount will be made for the materials necessary for linker technology development.

In addition to this project, Pinobio was selected in May for a national ADC project worth 5 billion KRW by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and last month was chosen as one of the ADC anticancer drug developers by the Korea Drug Development Fund (KDDF). This year, Pinobio has secured a total of 9.1 billion KRW in research and development funds over five years by winning six government projects.

Jung Doo-young, CEO of Pinobio, said, “We are pleased to have the opportunity to prove not only the excellence of our ADC drugs but also the distinctiveness of our linker technology through this project selection. Together with our outstanding research team, who have comprehensive experience in the design, synthesis, and evaluation of each ADC component, we will successfully lead this project.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.