Lonza’s Synaffix Partners with Qurient to Develop Dual-Payload ADC

Synaffix B.V., a Lonza company focused on advancing clinical-stage antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) technologies, has entered into a licensing agreement with South Korea–based biopharmaceutical company Qurient Co., Ltd. The collaboration aims to develop a dual-payload ADC that combines two distinct cytotoxic agents to enhance treatment efficacy and overcome resistance in cancer therapy.

Dual-payload ADCs are designed to deliver two different mechanisms of action directly to cancer cells, potentially improving therapeutic outcomes while reducing toxicity to healthy tissues, especially in difficult-to-treat solid tumors. Under the agreement, Qurient will leverage Synaffix’s site-specific ADC technology platform, which includes GlycoConnect antibody conjugation, HydraSpace polar spacer technology, and an exatecan-based linker-payload.

Qurient will take responsibility for the research, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of the ADC, including manufacturing its own CDK7 inhibitor. Lonza will manufacture components related to Synaffix’s proprietary technologies.

Peter van de Sande, Head of Synaffix, highlighted the collaboration as a testament to the versatility of their platform and their commitment to innovation in the ADC space. Kiyean Nam, CEO of Qurient, expressed optimism about the potential of combining their CDK7 inhibitor with Synaffix’s SYNtecan linker-payload technology, seeing it as a promising advancement in targeted antibody therapeutics with applications across multiple targets and antibodies.

This partnership marks a significant step toward expanding the capabilities and therapeutic potential of ADCs in oncology.