Switzerland-based Alentis Therapeutics and South Korea-based PinotBio have entered a research collaboration and licensing agreement to discover and develop next-generation antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) targeting claudin-1 in oncology, with Alentis receiving an exclusive option to in-license novel linkers and/or payloads from PinotBio's PINOT-ADC platform.
The agreement includes an upfront payment to PinotBio, development, regulatory, and commercial milestones, and royalties on net sales; no amounts were disclosed.
Alentis contributes its claudin-1 antibody portfolio while PinotBio provides tandem-cleavable linkers and novel payloads from its PINOT-ADC platform, designed to enhance tumor-cell killing while minimizing systemic toxicity from premature payload release. Claudin-1 is overexpressed in more than ten tumor types. Alentis already has two claudin-1-targeted ADCs in Phase I/II studies — ALE.P02, a tubulin inhibitor payload ADC with US FDA Fast Track designation for advanced or metastatic claudin-1-expressing squamous cancers irrespective of organ of origin, and ALE.P03, which carries a topoisomerase I inhibitor payload.