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A contract to be signed within a month, with Pierre Fabre obtaining a license to the antibody that has been jointly researched​

 

 

Y-Biologics, a developer of antibody drugs, has signed a letter of intent (LOI) for a strategic partnership with French pharmaceutical group, Pierre Fabre, to conduct research on new immuno-oncology drugs. The two companies will enter into a contract within the next month after discussing the details.

 

The two parties will be in partnership for three years, with the possibility of renewing the contract for an additional two years. Pierre Fabre will have a licensing option to acquire all the rights to the antibody that they have jointly research and pay Y-Biologics an upfront payment, milestone fees, and royalties as agreed in the contract. Y-Biologics, on the other hand, can exercise its opt-in rights to participate in additional development. 

 

In the joint research project, the two companies will develop antibody drugs that target the main immunosuppressive mechanisms of solid cancer. The cell composition of the tumor microenvironment (TME), which plays a crucial role in tumors interfering with the immune response, is the key target. The plan is to discover new antibody drug candidates that can inhibit such mechanisms and reactivate the immune system to kill the cancer cells.

 

Y-Biologics and Pierre Fabre will endeavor to provide patients with solid cancer with a novel type of immunotherapy that can enhance the immune system response against cancer.

 

According to the terms and conditions of the contract, Y-Biologics will discover antibodies for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes in relation to the major anticancer targets selected by its partner using its proprietary antibody library, Ymax-ABL. Pierre Fabre will share its expertise on cancer immunology at the Center of Immunology Pierre Fabre (CIPF) located in Saint-Julien-en-Genevois and carry out the new drug development process at the Pierre Fabre Research Center in Toulouse.

 

“I am very proud that Pierre Fabre, a leader in the field of anti-cancer drugs, has recognized the excellence of our antibody discovery platform, and that the excellent technology of a Korean bio company will be introduced into the global market. [...] I hope that the candidate antibodies we discover will lead to preclinical and clinical development phases at Pierre Fabre and that this will allow our companies to maintain our partnership,” said Young Woo Park, CEO of Y-Biologics.

 

“Innovation in the field of anticancer drugs is our strategic priority, and we are delighted to be collaborating with Y-Biologics in the research and development of cutting-edge monoclonal antibodies. [...] We hope to provide an innovative treatment method as quickly as possible to patients suffering from relapse and resistance to current prescription drugs through this reason,” said Jean-Luc Lowinski, CEO of Pierre Fabre Pharmaceuticals. 

 

Meanwhile, Y-Biologics is expanding its antibody drug pipelines developed through strategic alliances with domestic and foreign partners using Ymax®-ABL and ALiCE platform technologies.

 

​By Sung Min Kim, sungmin.kim@bios.co.kr