Newsroom

LOTTE BIOLOGICS (President James Park), Axcelead Drug Discovery Partners, Inc.(Representative Director and CEO, Kengo Okada, PhD.), and Kanaph Therapeutics Inc.(CEO Byoung Chul Lee, PhD) announced that they have signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to build an ADC Toolbox for the development of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).

Through this agreement, the three companies will collaborate on the joint research and development of linker and payload technologies, which are key components in the development of next-generation ADC cancer therapies.

Axcelead Drug Discovery Partners, Inc., a world-class drug discovery platform Contract Research Organization (CRO) by inheriting the drug discovery platform from Takeda Pharmaceutical Company in Japan, plans to leverage a compound library comprising more than 1.2 million compounds and more than 1,000 legacy projects, to generate novel payload candidates not yet applied to ADCs.

Kanaph Therapeutics Inc. will focus on developing an innovative platform that addresses the limitations of existing linker and payload technologies in ADC development.

The linker and payload technologies developed through this collaboration will be transferred to LOTTE BIOLOGICS, which will utilize them to further enhance the competitiveness of its ADC platform, including SoluFlex Link.

LOTTE BIOLOGICS plans to offer an ADC Toolbox service, enabling clients to select and apply a variety of technologies tailored to their needs. This service is expected to reinforce the company’s one-stop platform encompassing the entire ADC modality process—from research and development to GMP manufacturing.

A LOTTE BIOLOGICS representative said,

“This agreement marks a step forward in building a differentiated ADC platform and toolbox. We will continue to strengthen our partnerships with both companies to enhance our competitiveness in the global market and deliver more innovative treatments to patients.”

Axcelead Drug Discovery Partners, Inc. representative said, “We are pleased to participate in this initiative to establish a strategic alliance dedicated to the development and further advancement of ADC platform technologies and services. Leveraging our proprietary drug discovery platform, we strive to contribute to the creation of innovative therapies.”

A representative from Kanaph Therapeutics Inc. added, “Through this collaboration, we are committed to establishing a versatile toolbox of linkers and payloads to overcome the limitations of existing ADCs and accelerate the development of next-generation innovative therapeutics.”

About ADC ToolBox

The ADC ToolBox is a service platform that offers a selection of core technologies essential for developing antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs)—including payloads, linkers, and conjugation methods. Like a customizable menu, it enables drug developers to choose and combine the components they need, helping them accelerate and streamline ADC development.

About LOTTE BIOLOGICS

Headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, LOTTE BIOLOGICS was founded in 2022 with a mission to deliver therapies that contribute to a healthier world.

At the Syracuse Bio Campus in New York, LOTTE BIOLOGICS provides high-quality GMP manufacturing services for drug substances. The facility offers a total production capacity of 40,000L, supported by eight 5,000L stainless steel bioreactors. Additionally, the campus includes extensive analytical QC testing laboratories and warehouse facilities that have received approval from over 62 regulatory agencies worldwide. LOTTE BIOLOGICS is also advancing into a new area of expertise with Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) conjugation services. With over $100 million invested in ADC modalities, including both drug substance and conjugation capabilities on-site, we offer a seamless, end-to-end service from drug substance manufacturing to conjugation.

Looking ahead to 2030, LOTTE BIOLOGICS is constructing three advanced bio plants in Songdo, South Korea. With construction of the first plant already underway and expected to be operational by 2027, each facility will feature eight 15,000L stainless steel bioreactors for large-scale commercial production, along with multiple 2,000L single-use bioreactors to meet clinical production needs. Collectively, these plants will provide a manufacturing volume exceeding 360,000L in bioreactor capacity. More information about LOTTE BIOLOGICS, please visit: www.lottebiologics.com

About Axcelead Drug Discovery Partners, Inc. (Axcelead DDP)

Axcelead DDP is Japan’s first drug discovery solution provider established in July 2017 by inheriting the drug discovery platform from Takeda Pharmaceutical. Screening, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology/biology, DMPK, and safety research functions are integrated into one center with a state-of-the-art research base and original compound library. Together with the most advanced AI capability integration to Axcelead DDP’s service, Axcelead DDP creates high quality drug candidates rapidly. By leveraging these strengths, Axcelead DDP provides solutions to various challenges faced in the process from exploratory research to clinical in drug discovery. For more information, please visit https://axcelead-us.com/

About Kanaph Therapeutics Inc.

Kanaph Therapeutics Inc., founded in South Korea in 2019, is a biotechnology company dedicated to developing innovative therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases by leveraging human genomics and bioinformatics. To address unmet medical needs, Kanaph carefully selects the most appropriate modality for each newly identified target—whether it be large molecules, small molecules, or antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). For more information, please visit: http://www.kanaphtx.com/kr