Under the terms of the agreement, ADC Therapeutics has licensed a VivaMab antibody, VM101, produced using BioAtla’s Express Humanization, Comprehensive Positional Evolution, Combinatorial Protein Synthesis affinity and functional maturation technology platforms.
VM101 is mutually combined with a third-generation cytotoxic pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD)-based warhead and proprietary linker technology to form a new ADC, which is already proved to have powerful in vivo efficacy in recognized models for normally intractable hematological cancer indications.
ADC Therapeutics has planned to begin pre-IND development of the ADC immediately, simultaneously with its other advanced ADC programs with development support from VivaMab, which will receive a share of potential milestones and royalties on the drug.
VivaMab president William Boyle said that the BioAtla platform has generated a superior internalizing antibody to the target of interest, allowing to generate and develop an ADC drug candidate for hematologic cancers.
"The combination of a uniquely potent BioAtla antibody with a potent drug conjugate, or warhead, is likely to enhance therapeutic outcomes in its target indication," Boyle added.
The financial terms of the licensing deal were not disclosed.