Y Biologics Transfers CAR-T/NK Target Antibody Sequence License Technology To Vaxcell Bio

Y Biologics, an antibody new drug development platform company, announced on the 14th that it has signed a technology transfer agreement with Vaxcell Bio, a company specializing in the development of anti-cancer immune cell treatments, for the sequence of anti-PD-L1 antibody 'YBL-007'.

According to the contract, Vaxcell Bio has the exclusive right to use the YBL-007 sequence for research, development and commercialization of CAR-T (chimeric antigen receptor T cell) or CAR-NK (chimeric antigen receptor natural killer cell) treatments. .

YBL-007 is an antibody targeting the immune checkpoint protein ‘PD-L1’. This antibody binds to PD-L1 on the surface of cancer cells and inhibits the binding of PD-L1 to PD-1 on the surface of T cells (immune cells), thereby blocking the development of immune tolerance of T-cells against tumor cells and T-cells. Induces anti-tumor activity by increasing cell activity. ‘Tecentriq’ (ingredient name: atezolizumab), which has the second highest sales volume from Roche, is a representative PD-L1 immunotherapy agent.

This contract resulted from the close cooperation between the two companies. In November 2021, Y Biologics began joint development of next-generation anti-cancer cell therapy with Vaxell Bio. This joint development is a method of developing a new immunotherapy candidate by applying Y Biologics' cancer cell-targeting antibody to Vaxcell Bio's CAR cell therapy platform.

As a result, Y Biologics has achieved a total of six technology transfers since its establishment. Y Biologics signed a technology transfer agreement with GI Innovation and China's 3D Medicine in 2020. In the same year, the ADC candidate material jointly developed with LegoChem Bioscience was transferred to Pixis Oncology in the United States, and in 2021, the new single antibody was transferred to Pierre Fabre in France. In September last year, we succeeded in overseas technology transfer of the antibody new drug candidate jointly developed with Wellmarker Bio.

Park Young-woo, CEO of Y Biologics, said, “As a result of cooperation between antibody and cell therapy development companies, we have achieved the result of technology transfer,” and added, “We will continue to strive to accumulate references that can create synergy between various biopharmaceuticals and antibodies.”