Asahi Kasei Licenses Novel ADC Technology from Noguchi Institute

Asahi Kasei Life Science has acquired the license rights for a novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) technology that enables precise control over the drug-to-antibody ratio and improves attachment site of single- and dual-payload ADCs from the Noguchi Institute.

Drawing from its long-standing research into carbohydrates and glycans, the Noguchi Institute has developed a novel ADC technology with a molecular structure conformity expected to improve the predictability of drug efficacy and safety, enabling stable therapeutic effects.

The Noguchi Institute’s ADC modality can also combine dual payloads onto a single antibody. These characteristics offer the ability to add different payloads for targeting more diseases with better specificity and potentially less toxicity.

Under this agreement, the two partners will advance initiatives to commercialize ADC drug platforms, including possible future sub-licensing to biopharma companies and Contract Development and Manufacturing Organizations (CDMOs) such as Bionova Scientific, an Asahi Kasei company. In addition, both parties will engage in joint research to further refine the technology to solve medical challenges.

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