Shanghai Escugen Biotechnology Co., Ltd. and Woodinville, Washington-based Sovran Bio, Inc. have expanded their collaboration into a co-development agreement covering a pan-tumor bispecific antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) that the companies said incorporates three mechanisms of action in a single molecule. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The unnamed bispecific ADC pairs MICA/B — a stress-induced surface antigen expressed on tumor cells but also on healthy tissue — with a second, undisclosed tumor-associated marker in an AND-gate configuration, requiring co-expression of both targets for binding. The companies said this dual-targeting selectivity, combined with inhibition of MICA/B shedding and direct cytotoxic payload delivery via Escugen's EZWi-Fit linker-payload platform, is intended to spare normal tissue while enabling activity across multiple solid tumor types. No development stage, trial identifier, or investigational new drug filing was disclosed, and the program appears to be preclinical based on the co-development framing.
Under the agreement, both companies will jointly contribute to research and development with shared upside.