SOTIO licences first cancer ADC from LegoChem Biosciences

The announcement of Czech immuno-oncology specialist SOTIO AS reported came along with promising safety and efficacy Phase I results of LegoChem Biosciences’ novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) SOT106, that it is being evaluated in preclinical studies across a wide spectrum of solid tumour indications. It is the first licencing out of five exclusive options, SOTIO and LegoChem Biosciences announced in November 2021. Under the multi-target exclusive collaboration and license agreement, SOTIO is responsible for the research, development, manufacturing and worldwide commercialisation of the licenced ADC products. The exercise of the first option triggered an undisclosed milestone payment by SOTIO to LegoChem Biosciences.

According to LegoChem Biosciences, its ADC platform overcomes existing limitations of ADCs by imparting a trinity of improved properties, (1) site-specific stable bioconjugation (2) cancer selective linker activation and (3) cancer-selective activation of potent payload, all of which in a significantly broader therapeutic index. The toxic payload prodrug is activated by cancer cell-selective enzymes, thereby reducing toxicity to non-malignant cells.

“The rapid and successful development of this collaboration with LegoChem Biosciences reiterates our commitment to providing patients with efficacious and safe cancer therapeutic options,” stated Radek Spisek, M.D., Ph.D., chief executive officer of SOTIO. This collaboration promises to combine LBC’s antibody-drug conjugate technology with the research, development, and manufacturing expertise of SOTIO. The two companies agreed to expand their partnership to up to five antibody-drug conjugate programs

“We are very excited that a successful outcome has been achieved in such a short time since the partnership launched a year ago.” said Dr. Yong-Zu Kim, the CEO & President of LCB. "This result has come from a combination of SOTIO’s deep antibody discovery expertise and LegoChem's industry-leading and differentiated ADC platform technology.  We look forward to further achieving progress in our efficient and close partnership as this effort continues into generating new drug candidates.”