Byondis and Glycotope Enter Platform Access Agreement for Discovery and Development of Antibodies Against Novel GlycoTargets

Nijmegen, the Netherlands, Berlin, Germany – 27 July 2021 – Byondis B.V., an independent, clinical stage biopharmaceutical company creating precision medicines, and Glycotope, a biotechnology company developing antibodies against proteins carrying tumor-specific carbohydrate structures, have entered into a platform access agreement to discover and develop antibodies that target specific tumor-associated protein/carbohydrate combined glyco-epitopes (GlycoTargets).

Under the terms of the platform access agreement, Byondis has gained exclusive rights to evaluate and develop antibodies against selected novel GlycoTargets, with the option to in-license these antibodies for development as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). Specific financial terms have not been disclosed.

“Selective tumor targeting is key to maximize the potential of our linker-drug platforms to generate effective ADCs with low systemic toxicity. The antibodies generated by Glycotope are designed to deliver very high tumor selectivity. We are excited to join forces and align our highly complementary technologies to provide effective and safe ADCs for the benefit of cancer patients,” said Byondis Chief Scientific Officer Wim Dokter, Ph.D.

 “This agreement with Byondis highlights the potential of our GlycoTarget discovery and technology platform,” said Henner Kollenberg, Managing Director of Glycotope. “GlycoTargets are a unique class of highly tumor-specific antigens that offer reduced on-target / off-tumor toxicities. We believe that combining antibodies against these GlycoTargets with Byondis’ linker-drug platform has great potential to produce novel treatments for people suffering from diseases for which no adequate medical treatment option has been found so far.”

Glycosylation is strongly altered in cancer cells, reflecting the drastic changes in tumor metabolism, which results in new, highly tumor-specific epitopes (GlycoTargets). Specific antibodies against these GlycoTargets might be highly cancer specific and have the potential to target a broad range of oncology indications.

To improve the cell-killing capability of antibodies, cytotoxic drugs can be attached to the antibodies using a linker molecule, forming ADCs. While earlier generation ADCs improved targeting and cell killing, they were unstable in the bloodstream, leading to premature release of the cytotoxic payload, impacting healthy tissue and narrowing the therapeutic window. Byondis’ next generation ADCs are highly stable in circulation and carry an intricate, inactivated and potent cytotoxic drug that rapidly self-destructs if it is prematurely released, limiting damage to healthy tissue and improving the therapeutic window.

About Byondis

Driven to improve patients’ lives, Byondis is an independent, privately held, clinical stage biopharmaceutical company creating innovative precision medicines targeting intractable cancers and autoimmune diseases. The company is developing new biological entities (NBEs) and new chemical entities (NCEs) using proprietary molecular concepts, such as ByonZine®, its duocarmazine linker-drug (LD) technology, and ByonShieLD®, its site-specific conjugation technology, to generate next generation antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).

Byondis’ broad development portfolio comprises preclinical as well as early- and late-stage clinical programs, including the anti-HER2 ADC [vic-]trastuzumab duocarmazine (SYD985), whose pivotal Phase III TULIP® study recently released positive topline results. The company has a dedicated team of about 400 employees, including highly educated scientists and skilled technicians working in state-of-the-art R&D and Good Manufacturing Practice manufacturing facilities on its Nijmegen campus in the Netherlands. Byondis regularly collaborates with leading, global biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, as well as many academic research institutions.

For more information visit www.byondis.com.

About Glycotope

Glycotope is a biotechnology company utilizing a proprietary technology platform to develop uniquely tumor-specific monoclonal antibodies.

Based on altered glycosylation patterns on cancer cells compared to healthy cells, Glycotope has developed a target-discovery approach that enables the identification of proteins that carry an aberrant glycosylation if expressed in cancerous tissues in several indications. 

Antibodies targeting these specific tumor-associated carbohydrate structures or protein/carbohydrate combined glyco-epitopes (GlycoTargets) are suitable for development in an array of different modes of action including naked antibodies, bispecifics, antibody-drug-conjugates, cellular therapies or fusion-proteins. Glycotope has to date discovered in excess of 130 GlycoTargets with antibodies against several of these targets currently under development.

For more information visit www.glycotope.com.