Samsung Biologics Launches Next-Generation Bispecific Antibody Platform 'S-DUAL'... Expanding Global CDO

Promotion image of Samsung Biologics' bispecific antibody platform 'S-DUAL'. [Photo by Samsung Biologics]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Samsung Biologics has unveiled its 'bispecific antibody' platform, which it has identified as a new growth engine in the contract development organization (CDO) sector. Through a differentiated solution that ensures high stability and purity, the company plans to target the rapidly growing global bispecific antibody CDO market.

Samsung Biologics announced on the 6th that it has launched its self-developed bispecific antibody platform, 'S-DUAL.'

A bispecific antibody is an antibody that combines two antibodies, each binding to a different target, into a single form. Generally, antibodies act on only one target antigen, showing limited efficacy, but bispecific antibodies simultaneously act on different target antigens, resulting in higher efficacy than conventional single antibodies. However, introducing new binding sites into antibodies causes issues with stability and production efficiency.

S-DUAL, introduced by Samsung Biologics, has succeeded in overcoming these limitations through specialization of the bispecific antibody structure. First, it is designed in a form similar to human antibodies (IgG), reducing the risk of immune reactions when administered in the body and providing structural stability similar to antibodies. Additionally, due to its asymmetric structure, the molecular weight difference between bispecific antibody proteins and impurity proteins caused by binding errors can be easily distinguished, enabling more effective separation and analysis.

In particular, the 'CH3(constant heavy chain 3)' domain, which induces specific binding, was added to one arm of the bispecific antibody to minimize binding errors. This enhances binding strength, reduces impurity generation rates, and achieves a high purity of up to 99%. The company has completed patent applications for this proprietary bispecific antibody technology, enabling its application to various next-generation drugs such as multispecific antibodies.

Samsung Biologics expects that the S-DUAL service will significantly strengthen the entire process from pharmaceutical CDO to contract manufacturing organization (CMO). John Rim, CEO of Samsung Biologics, said, “We expect to expand CDMO sales and business portfolio through our unique bispecific antibody platform,” adding, “We will continue to develop innovative technologies and services that meet diverse customer needs in line with rapidly changing industry trends.”

Meanwhile, Samsung Biologics’ CDO service has quickly established itself in the market since its entry in 2018, recording about 100 contract wins as of the first half of this year. The company is enhancing speed and quality competitiveness by independently developing various platforms applying innovative technologies. 'S-CHOice,' unveiled in August 2020, is the first domestically developed and commercialized cell line platform, significantly improving cell proliferation and viability. Recently, the company also launched 'Developick,' a new drug candidate discovery platform that analyzes the stability and other aspects of candidate substances in advance before entering the preclinical stage, selecting substances with high development potential.