PRAGUE & BEIJING--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SOTIO Biotech, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company owned by PPF Group, and Biocytogen (HKEX: 02315), a global biotech company focused on the discovery of novel antibody therapeutics, today announced a research collaboration and exclusive option and license agreement.
The agreement grants SOTIO the option to license multiple fully human bispecific antibodies generated with Biocytogen’s proprietary RenLite® platform, which SOTIO will use to develop next-generation antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) targeting solid tumors. The agreement also includes an option for SOTIO to leverage Biocytogen’s proprietary ADC platform. Biocytogen will be eligible to receive upfront, development, and commercial milestones and royalties on net sales on a product-by-product basis.
“SOTIO’s powerful ADC platform brings together multiple technologies, allowing us to tailor our therapeutics to meet the needs of specific cancer types. Specifically, exploiting bispecific targeting in the context of our ADC approaches to improve precision targeting and overcome tumor heterogeneity is particularly appealing,” said Martin Steegmaier, Ph.D., chief scientific officer of SOTIO. “This agreement with Biocytogen complements our existing collaborations with Synaffix, LigaChem, and NBE-Therapeutics, providing SOTIO with access to fully human antibodies from Biocytogen’s state-of-the-art in vivo discovery platform. With the first targets for a bispecific program already selected, we are well-positioned to expand our ADC pipeline and the therapeutic possibilities for patients with solid tumors.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Biocytogen is eligible to receive upfront and potential milestone payments worth up to $325.5 million, plus low single-digit royalties on net sales. SOTIO and Biocytogen will collaborate closely during the research phase of the bispecific programs. SOTIO will be responsible for non-clinical and clinical development, manufacturing, and commercialization of the ADC products.
“We are eager to deploy Biocytogen’s cutting-edge tools for antibody discovery to support SOTIO’s exciting ADC development plans,” said Yuelei Shen, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Biocytogen. “Our unique RenMice® platforms allow us to discover fully human antibodies with high affinity, low immunogenicity, and favorable developability. We look forward to working with SOTIO to advance novel therapeutics that have the potential to improve cancer treatment.”
About SOTIO
SOTIO Biotech (SOTIO) is shaping the future of targeted cancer therapies by translating compelling science into patient benefit. The SOTIO pipeline includes three clinical-stage programs: SOT102, a next-generation Claudin-18.2-targeted antibody-drug conjugate; BOXR1030, a metabolically-enhanced CAR-T cell therapy targeting GPC3-expressing tumors; and SOT201, a next-generation PD-1-targeting immunocytokine. SOTIO is a member of the PPF Group. SOTIO is a registered trademark of SOTIO Biotech a.s. in selected countries. For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.sotio.com.
About Biocytogen
Biocytogen (HKEX: 02315) is a global biotechnology company that drives the research and development of novel antibody-based drugs with innovative technologies. Founded on gene editing technology, Biocytogen leverages genetically engineered proprietary RenMice® (RenMab™/RenLite®/RenNano®/RenTCR-mimic™) platforms for fully human monoclonal/bispecific/multispecific antibody discovery, bispecific antibody-drug conjugate discovery, nanobody discovery and TCR-mimic antibody discovery, and has established a sub-brand, RenBiologics™, to explore global partnerships for an off-the-shelf library of >400,000 fully human antibody sequences against approximately 1000 targets for worldwide collaboration. As of December 31, 2023, 103 therapeutic antibody and multiple clinical asset co-development/out-licensing/transfer agreements and 47 target-nominated RenMice® licensing projects have been established around the globe, including several partnerships with multinational pharmaceutical companies (MNCs). Biocytogen pioneered the generation of drug target knock-in humanized models for preclinical research, and currently provides a few thousand off-the-shelf animal and cell models under the company’s sub-brand, BioMice®, along with preclinical pharmacology and gene-editing services for clients worldwide. Headquartered in Beijing, Biocytogen has branches in China (Haimen Jiangsu, Shanghai), USA (Boston, San Francisco), and Germany (Heidelberg). For more information, please visit http://en.biocytogen.com.cn.
