Intocell Strengthens ADC Platform Competitiveness with New Payloads and Linker Technologies

Intocell, a company specializing in antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) platforms, is strengthening its competitiveness through new payloads and linker technologies.

Park Taegyo, CEO of Intocell, is speaking at a press conference held on the 19th in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Park Seungwook

On August 19, Intocell provided an update on its research and development (R&D) of new technologies and pipelines, as well as its commercialization strategy, at a press conference.

First, Intocell has developed a new Nexatecan drug—characterized by improved efficacy and activity compared to NxT3—as well as an alcohol-based iso-Nexatecan, as its new payloads. In ADCs, the payload refers to the cytotoxic drug that directly kills cancer cells. In in vivo efficacy tests conducted by external Contract Research Organizations (CROs), these new payloads demonstrated more than four times the tumor inhibition efficacy compared to the global ADC therapy Enhertu, when administered at the same dosage.

The development of the TBA linker, a new linker capable of conjugating neutral drugs such as iso-Nexatecan, is near completion. Among neutral drugs, there has so far been no available linker for conjugation other than the GGFG linker, which is used in Enhertu; once the TBA linker is complete, Intocell will be able to connect neutral drugs as well. As the spectrum of drugs that can be tethered expands, the company expects to further strengthen the competitiveness of its platform, enabling free combinations of linkers and payloads.

Following the conclusion of its first main contract (CLA) with Samsung Bioepis for an initial target, Intocell plans to accelerate collaborations with pharmaceutical and biotech companies both in Korea and overseas. To this end, the company has entered into a strategic memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a major global contract manufacturing organization (CMO), with plans to add Intocell's linker-payload technology to the CMO’s technology portfolio.

Park Taegyo, CEO of Intocell, stated, “Intocell has been further enhancing the technological scalability of its platform by developing and applying drugs with superior efficacy and innovative linker technologies. Going forward, we will do our utmost to achieve strong results in the global market based on Intocell’s differentiated technological capabilities.”

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