ThioBridge is a platform which links antibodies and other proteins to drugs, to help maintain stability of the antibody and a consistent Drug-to-Antibody Ratio (DAR), which reduces risk of unwanted side effects.
The unidentified firm will be the fifth private party to license Abzena’s linker technologies, with the deal allowing for use of ThioBridge on up to 10 ADCs across a range of indications.
“Abzena and the US biopharmaceutical company has enjoyed an ongoing collaborative research programme to evaluate ThioBridge up until now,” said John Burt, CEO of Abzena.
“The collaboration has allowed both parties to build a strong working relationship and to demonstrate the value of the ThioBridge technology in creating novel ADCs.”
This new deal could potentially earn Abzena over $300 million, including milestone payments, with further earnings on sales royalties of any approved products using the technology.
The firm’s share prices jumped over 62% in response to the news.