Ono Enters into Agreements with LigaChem for LCB97 and Novel ADC Development
Friday, October 11, 2024
Ono Pharmaceutical has announced a license agreement with LigaChem Biosciences for the development of LCB97, a pre-clinical stage antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting solid tumours.
The ConjuAll™ ADC platform addresses common limitations in current ADC therapies by enabling stable, site-specific bioconjugation, selective linker activation within cancer cells, and cancer-selective activation of potent treatments, providing a broader therapeutic window and minimising harm to healthy cells.
This collaboration aims to produce a first-in-class treatment by leveraging LigaChem's proprietary ConjuAll™ ADC platform.
LCB97 is an ADC designed to target the L1 cell adhesion molecule (L1CAM), which is known to be highly expressed in various solid tumours. Pre-clinical trials in mouse cancer models have shown promising anti-tumour effects for this treatment.
Under the agreement, Ono gains exclusive global rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialise LCB97 for solid tumour treatments.
The deal includes an upfront payment, milestone payments linked to research and sales, and tiered royalties based on net sales, with the total payments potentially reaching up to USD 700 million.
In a separate agreement, the two companies will collaborate on developing additional ADC candidates using the ConjuAll™ ADC platform, with Ono securing exclusive global rights to these candidates.
This partnership is expected to generate new treatments targeting various cancers.
The impact of this agreement on Ono's consolidated financial results for the fiscal year ending 31 March 2025 is projected to be minimal. Any significant developments will be disclosed in due course.
Source: ono-pharma.com
