Samsung Biologics and LigaChem Partner to Target Global ADC Market
Aiming for Over Three Projects This Year
Samsung Biologics and LegoChem Biosciences Join Forces to Develop ADC Therapeutics.
Samsung Biologics and LigaChem Biosciences announced on the 9th that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for collaboration in the development of Antibody-Drug Conjugate (ADC) therapeutics. Through this agreement, the two companies plan to jointly undertake more than three ADC projects this year.
Their partnership began last year when the two companies signed a Contract Development Organization (CDO) agreement in February to collaborate on antibody development for ADC therapeutics. In June, they followed up with a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) for ADC development.
Samsung Biologics highlighted that the significance of this MOU lies in combining its world-class Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) capabilities with LigaChem Bio’s advanced ADC technology to target the rapidly growing global ADC market.
The collaboration will leverage Samsung Biologics’ dedicated ADC production facility, completed last year, located in Songdo International City, Incheon. The four-story facility includes a 500-liter conjugation reactor and a single purification line, enabling large-scale ADC production.
John Rim, CEO of Samsung Biologics, stated, “We aim to provide high-quality ADC drugs to patients through our collaboration with LigaChem Bio. By combining the expertise of LigaChem Bio, a global leader in ADC drug development, with Samsung Biologics' top-tier CDMO capabilities, we will contribute to advancing Korea’s ADC technology and industry.”
Yongju Kim, CEO of LigaChem Bio, commented, “Starting this year, we anticipate earning substantial royalties, which will support aggressive R&D investments. Our goal is to establish more than 15 clinical pipelines within five years and become a global leader in ADC development. By leveraging Samsung Biologics’ extensive CDMO experience, we will accelerate the development of our pipeline.”
LigaChem Bio, leveraging its proprietary ConjuAll platform, boasts the largest ADC pipeline globally. It has been solidifying its position in the global market by achieving at least one technology transfer annually. In October last year, the company signed two ADC-related technology transfer agreements with Japan’s Ono Pharmaceutical, one of which had a disclosed deal value of up to $700 million (approximately KRW 943.5 billion), demonstrating its technological prowess and value in the ADC market.