Celltrion announced on Sept. 19 that it is focusing on securing various platforms and pipelines including oral antibody therapeutics, antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), new antibody drugs, bispecific antibodies, microbiomes and anti-cancer virus platforms through development and research as well as open innovation with Korean and foreign companies.
To develop oral antibody therapies, Celltrion signed an agreement with U.S. biotech company Rani Therapeutics to develop oral types of Ustekinumab and Adalimumab. The company is promoting development collaboration aimed at developing oral versions of protein and antibody drugs that can be injected intravenously and subcutaneously through Ranipill, an oral capsule platform owned by Rani Therapeutics.
Regarding the development of ADC anti-cancer drugs, Celltrion has secured a majority stake in UK-based Iksuda Therapeutics through direct investment and investment in a new growth fund. In Korea, the company has secured the right to utilize the ADC platform for up to 15 targets by signing an option to implement ADC linker-payload platform technology with biotech company Pinotbio. What is more, the company inked separate equity investment and joint research agreements to develop ADC therapeutics with Pinotbio.
In the area of bispecific antibody anticancer drugs, Celltrion is implementing a two-track strategy utilizing both in-house development and licensing-in external products. It aims to strengthen its existing portfolio of antitumor drugs centered on antibody therapies by quickly securing pipelines.
Specifically, Celltrion signed a joint development agreement with U.S. biotech company Abpro for ABP102, a double-antibody treatment targeting HER2-positive breast cancer, and started the full-scale development of treatments. It is planning to forge a long-term partnership including additional equity investment and conduct various collaborations such as the commercialization of candidate materials.
Celltrion is also expanding its scope to microbiome therapeutics with high medical needs and is promoting commercialization by securing developable strains. Celltrion signed a joint R&D agreement with Gobiolab to develop microbiome-based treatments for irritable bowel syndrome and atopic dermatitis, and plans to expand its microbiome therapeutic area to Parkinson’s disease by signing a joint R&D agreement on microbiome Parkinson’s disease treatment with Rescues Biosciences.
Lastly, Celltrion is developing anti-cancer virus platform technology as well. The anti-cancer virus platform technology uses viruses to induce the specific killing of cancer cells and over-express cancer therapeutic genes in tumors. It is expected to be used in the development of next-generation anti-cancer drugs.
Celltrion signed a joint research and development agreement with GeneMedicine, a Korean oncolytic virus developer, to develop an oncolytic virus platform technology for systemic administration. The company will provide CT-P6 DS as a raw material for systemic administration anti-cancer virus platform technology using Trastuzumab as a target substance, and GeneMedicine will be in charge of non-clinical activities.