The exponential growth of the field of antibody-drug conjugates provides plenty of business opportunities

STUTTGART, Germany I January 23, 2014 I The area of antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) is a very fertile area for business ranging from partnerships between pharma and biotech or biotech and biotech up to contract services for conducting research and manufacturing complex ADC products. The field has seen an exponential growth over the last few years. The number of publications has tripled since 2011 and is even 9-times higher in 2013 than during the years before. And the number of stakeholders to be analyzed for La Merie Publishing‘ new report about ADCs was nearly triple that evaluated for the first report in 2011.

First generation ADC technology has matured as evidenced by the regulatory approval and marketing of the first two ADC products against hematologic and solid malignancies with the two main ADC technologies from ImmunoGen and Seattle Genetics. Both companies utilize cell-cycle dependent tubulin polymerization inhibitors (maytansine and auristatin derivatives) conjugated via cleavable or stable linkers to natural lysine or cysteine residues in the targeting antibody. As a result of this conjugation technology, the drug-antibody ratio may be variable and the product heterogenous with potential impact on efficacy, safety and pharmacokinetics. Resistanc of cancer cells to currently employed drug payloads of ADCs adds a further parameter for optimization of ADCs.

Based on the current state of the art, this report describes the emerging next generation ADC technologies regarding target selection, novel antibody and alternative targeting moiety formats, novel drugs and conjugation systems. The report pays special attention to the commercial relevance and value of these technologies and highlights those picked-up by Big Pharma setting a trend for the first wave of new ADCs based on next generation ADC technologies.

The new report Antibody-Drug Conjugates 2014 – a Business, Technology & Pipeline Analysis is based on the evaluation of more than 90 companies. The report analyzes established and new antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) technologies, business activities and opportunities and assesses more than 100 ADC development and research programs. The commercial value of ADC technologies, ADC products and ADC product candidates is described and valued by means of sales, product prices, company market capitalization, initial public offerings, venture capital and private equity financing, infrastructure investments and financial deal terms. Business deal activities in form of acquisitions, licensing and collaboration agreements and joint ventures between pharma, biotech and the service industry serve to identify those technologies of interest for stakeholders in the ADC industry.

About La Merie Publishing

La Merie Publishing is an independent German Business Intelligence enterprise fully dedicated to provide high quality R&D information to the biopharmaceutical industry. La Merie offers individual consultancy services and publishes reports and periodicals. For more information visit www.lamerie.com

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SOURCE: La Merie Publishing