On January 6, 2020 Gene Techno Science (Kidswell Bio) reported a joint development agreement with Sapporo Medical University for a development of an anticancer drug using antibodies with an ability of entering cancer cell (Press release, Kidswell Bio, JAN 6, 2020, View Source [SID1234625474]).
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1. Purpose and background for concluding this agreement
This agreement aims to develop new anticancer drugs for rare and refractory cancers as a new pipeline in the new biologic business, which is the future growth driver for our company. In recent years, cancer treatment has dramatically improved due to the emergence of drugs that selectively inhibit abnormal proliferation signals of cancer cells or antibody drugs that selectively recognize only cancer cells. On the other hand, the therapeutic effect achieved only with single antibody drug is limited, so in clinical practice, the combination treatment of other existing anticancer drugs and antibody drugs is a common treatment. Recently, development of antibody-drug conjugates combining cytotoxic small molecules to an antibody that recognizes cancer cells, has been actively conducted. In Japan, two antibody-drug conjugates have been launched in the market and show a great therapeutic effect.
Assistant professor Miki Yamaguchi of Research Institute of Frontier Medicine, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, possesses antibodies by immunizing mice, which bind to molecules expressed only on the surface of cancer cells with an ability to enter cancer cells. GTS will sort out antibodies with superior ability in a recognition specificity and entering to cancer cells, and combine them to antibodydrug conjugates combining small molecule drugs or immunotoxin combining cytotoxic protein. GTS aims to develop anti-cancer drugs that show excellent therapeutic effects even by the single administration.
GTS will conduct this research and development based on the expertise of handling proteins accumulated in the past developments of biosimilar products and append this drug as a new pipeline in the new biologic business to secure new revenue sources in the future. Through the contribution to society by developing new anticancer drugs for rare and refractory cancers, we will accelerate to raise our enterprise value and aim to achieve GTS3.0 at an early stage.
2. Contents of this agreement
Joint development agreement for an anticancer drug using antibodies with an ability of entering cancer cells which Sapporo Medical University possesses.
3. Outline of counterparties to this agreement
1. Name Sapporo Medical University
2. Location South-1, West-17, Cyuo-ku, Sapporo, Japan
3. Chairperson and President Taiji Tsukamoto
4. Department Department of Molecular Medicine, Research Institute
for Frontier Medicine, Sapporo University School of
Medicine
4. Future outlook
The impact on the business results for the fiscal year ending March 2020 is expected to be minimal.