GlycoNex & PrecisemAb Sign Technology Licensing Agreement to Advance Development of Novel Anti-Glycan Antibodies for Cancer Therapy

GlycoNex (4168, hereinafter referred to as GNX) and PrecisemAb recently announced a technology licensing agreement to develop a new generation of an anti-glycan antibody drugs aimed at increasing antibody specificity, reducing drug side effects, and enhancing treatment outcomes for a variety of solid tumors.

Under the agreement, GlycoNex will license PrecisemAb’s Universal Antibody Lock (UAL) technology platform, which modifies antibodies to inhibit their activity until activated by tumor proteases. Deploying UAL in conjunction with GlycoNex’s anti-glycan antibody platform offers the potential to improve antibody drug behavior by enabling precise therapeutic effects on tumors, while enhancing the safety and tolerability of such drugs by reducing side effects caused by on-target, off-site binding.

“We are excited to collaborate with PrecisemAb and integrate the company’s Universal Antibody Lock technology into our platform for developing anti-glycan antibodies targeting cancer-related glycoproteins,” said Dr. Mei-Chun Yang, CEO of GlycoNex. “Our goal is to develop drugs capable of selectively activating in the tumor microenvironment, precisely targeting and killing tumor cells, while remaining inactive in the circulatory system and normal tissues, thereby reducing drug side effects and improving patient quality of life.”

Dr. Yun-Chu Lu, Chairman of PrecisemAb, added “It is an honor to collaborate with Taiwan’s leading glyco-biotech company, GlycoNex, in the development of innovative cancer treatments with anti-glycan antibodies. By applying PrecisemAb’s Universal Antibody Lock technology, we aim to develop anti-glycan antibodies that offer patients safer treatment options.”

The Universal Antibody Lock technology was invented by Professor Tain-Lu Cheng’s team at Kaohsiung Medical University and exclusively licensed to PrecisemAb. This technology can be widely applied in the fields of monoclonal antibody drugs, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and bispecific antibodies, with a production process similar to that of conventional antibodies. The UAL platform is protected by patents in 18 countries.

GlycoNex has 20 years of expertise in researching tumor-specific glycans and developing cancer-targeting antibody drugs. The Company is currently conducting international clinical trials for its own new drugs and biosimilars, including its lead program, GNX-102, which targets tumor-associated glycans and has demonstrated promising results in clinical trials to date.

GlycoNex Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development of glycan-directed cancer immunotherapies that effectively inhibit tumor growth while minimizing side effects. GlycoNex possesses a robust pipeline led by GNX102, a humanized monoclonal antibody (mAB) designed to target abnormal sugar molecules in cancer cells. GNX-102 has successfully completed Phase 1 clinical trials with data demonstrating excellent safety and promising efficacy. GlycoNex is also advancing a portfolio of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) that precisely attack cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue. GlycoNex is headquartered in New Taipei City, Taiwan. For more information, visit http://www.glyconex.com.tw.