ProBio licenses oncology antibody asset to South Korea’s AbTis for ADC development
Under the agreement, ProBio will receive an upfront payment and may earn additional payments upon the achievement of specified development and commercial milestones.
CHINA—ProBio has signed an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with South Korean biotechnology company AbTis to develop and commercialise an early-stage therapeutic antibody candidate targeting cancer, expanding AbTis’ pipeline of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).
ProBio discovered and developed the antibody through its biologics research and development operations.
Under the agreement, ProBio will receive an upfront payment and may earn additional payments upon the achievement of specified development and commercial milestones.
The company will also receive royalties on future product sales. The financial terms were not disclosed.
AbTis to apply proprietary conjugation technology
AbTis, a subsidiary of Dong-A ST, plans to incorporate the licensed antibody into its bispecific ADC portfolio.
The company will use its AbClick site-specific conjugation technology to develop the candidate into a next-generation ADC for oncology applications.
AbClick is designed to attach therapeutic compounds to specific sites on antibodies, offering greater control over the resulting drug conjugates.
This approach aims to improve consistency and product characteristics compared with conventional non-specific conjugation methods.
The technology is particularly relevant to ADC development, where the location and consistency of drug attachment can influence product quality, stability and therapeutic performance.
By combining the antibody with its conjugation platform, AbTis intends to expand its options for developing targeted cancer treatments.
ProBio CEO Allen Guo said the agreement highlights the company’s strategy of supporting partners’ research programmes while developing differentiated therapeutic assets for further clinical development.
He noted that combining ProBio’s biologics discovery capabilities with AbTis’ site-specific ADC technology could accelerate the development of the oncology candidate and create value for patients and development partners.
Integrated development and manufacturing capabilities
The agreement also reflects the growing role of contract research, development and manufacturing organisations (CRDMOs) in biotechnology partnerships.
These organisations provide services spanning early-stage research, process development and commercial manufacturing, allowing drug developers to access multiple capabilities through a single partner.
ProBio operates across biologics, cell therapy and gene therapy, supported by scalable facilities that comply with good manufacturing practice (GMP) requirements.
Its integrated model is designed to reduce development risks, improve manufacturing readiness and shorten production timelines.
For AbTis, the partnership provides access to an externally developed antibody that it can advance using its proprietary conjugation technology.
The arrangement also illustrates how biotechnology companies are combining specialised discovery platforms with targeted drug delivery technologies to expand oncology pipelines.
AbTis focuses on developing bioconjugate therapeutics for cancer and other serious diseases, with its ADC programmes forming part of its broader drug development strategy.
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