- Samsung Bioepis and Phrontline will co-develop two investigational antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) assets directed against targets expressed in a broad range of cancers
- Collaboration will add a new class of bispecific and dual-payload ADC therapeutics to Samsung Bioepis’ oncology portfolio
- Phrontline will be responsible for creating bispecific, dual-payload ADCs using its bispecific antibody and dual-linker payload (DLP) platforms
- Samsung Bioepis receives an exclusive license from Phrontline for one TOP1i payload for development, manufacturing, and commercialization of ADC therapeutics
INCHEON, Korea & SHANGHAI--BUSINESS WIRE--
Samsung Bioepis Co., Ltd. and Phrontline Biopharma, a clinical-stage biotechnology company advancing a new generation of Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs), today announced that the companies have entered into a global collaboration agreement to develop, manufacture and commercialize two ADC assets: TJ108, bispecific and dual-payload ADC, and another asset to be named. In addition, Samsung Bioepis will receive an exclusive license from Phrontline for one topoisomerase-1 inhibitor (TOP1i) payload which is applied to Samsung Bioepis’ ADC pipeline.
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Kyung-Ah Kim, President & CEO of Samsung Bioepis (left) and Zhaoyuan ‘Tony’ Chen, Founder and CEO of Phrontline Biopharma (right) have signed a global strategic partnership agreement to advance development of antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) therapeutics for solid tumors.
Phrontline’s TJ108 is TOP1i and tubulin inhibitor-based ADC directed against Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) and Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 3 (HER3), targets that are overexpressed in a variety of cancers, which contribute to aggressive growth and metastasis.i,ii
Under the terms of the agreement, Phrontline will receive an upfront payment and will be eligible to receive additional milestone payments tied to development and regulatory achievements.
“We are excited to partner with Phrontline in developing and advancing differentiated ADCs that target a broad range of indications,” said Kyung-Ah Kim, President and Chief Executive Officer, at Samsung Bioepis. “We will continue to explore new business opportunities to address unmet needs of patients, leveraging our proven development platforms.”
“Phrontline has honed its bispecific targeting technology to enhance payload delivery efficiency and has advanced an innovative dual-linker payload (DLP) platform that enables the simultaneous delivery of two payloads with balanced potency and distinct mechanisms of action through a branched-linker architecture, while supporting scalable and efficient one-step conjugation. This partnership accelerates our vision to establish bispecific, dual-payload ADCs as a new class of precision oncology medicines,” said Zhaoyuan ‘Tony’ Chen, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Phrontline Biopharma. “Together with Samsung Bioepis, we will scale the DLP platform — beginning with TJ108 — to address resistance, heterogeneity, and durability challenges that limit today’s single-payload, single-target ADCs.”
Samsung Bioepis is expanding its pipeline beyond biosimilars to fulfill its mission of broadening patient access to treatments in the areas of unmet therapeutic needs. The development of ADCs could add into the company’s broad spectrum of therapeutic portfolio that covers immunology, oncology, ophthalmology, hematology, nephrology, neurology, and endocrinology.
About Samsung Bioepis Co., Ltd.
Established in 2012, Samsung Bioepis is a biopharmaceutical company committed to realizing healthcare that is accessible to everyone. Through innovations in product development and a firm commitment to quality, Samsung Bioepis aims to become the world's leading biopharmaceutical company. Samsung Bioepis continues to advance a broad pipeline of biosimilar candidates that cover a spectrum of therapeutic areas, including immunology, oncology, ophthalmology, hematology, nephrology, neurology, and endocrinology. For more information, please visit: www.samsungbioepis.com and follow us on social media – X, LinkedIn.
About Phrontline Biopharma
Phrontline Biopharma is a clinical-stage biotechnology company headquartered in Suzhou, China. The company’s mission is to develop a new class of bispecific, dual-payload antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) designed to overcome the limitations of single-payload, single-target ADCs—particularly in addressing resistance, tumor heterogeneity, and durability of response.
Phrontline has established proprietary bispecific antibody and dual-linker payload (DLP) platforms that enhance payload delivery efficiency and enable the simultaneous delivery of two payloads with balanced potency and complementary mechanisms of action through a branched-linker architecture. The company is dedicated to advancing more effective and durable treatment options for patients with high unmet medical needs through its in-house innovation and integrated technology platforms.
For more information, please visit www.PhrontlineBio.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
i Pastwińska J, Karaś K, Karwaciak I, Ratajewski M. Targeting egfr in melanoma – the sea of possibilities to overcome drug resistance. Biochim Biophys Acta (BBA) - Rev Cancer. (2022) 1877:188754. doi: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2022.188754
ii Papa F, Grinda T, Rassy E, et al. Long road towards effective HER3 targeting in breast cancer. Cancer Treat Rev. 2024;129:102786. doi: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2024.102786
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Contact details:
Media Contact – Samsung Bioepis
Anna Nayun Kim, [email protected]
Yoon Kim, [email protected]
Media Contact – Phrontline Biopharma
Ying Li, [email protected]
