ABL Bio "Pursuing Additional Technology Transfer for 'GrabBody-B'"

Expansion of Blood-Brain Barrier Shuttle Platform Technology Licensing Expected

Lee Sang-hoon, CEO of ABL Bio, is speaking at an online briefing on the 9th regarding the contract to transfer the blood-brain barrier shuttle platform technology worth 4 trillion won with GSK. Photo by ABL Bio YouTube capture

ABL Bio continues to actively pursue technology licensing for its blood-brain barrier (BBB) shuttle platform, 'Grabody-B.'

On the 9th, Lee Sang-hoon, CEO of ABL Bio, held an online briefing to commemorate the signing of a Grabody-B technology licensing agreement worth 4 trillion KRW with global pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). He stated, "We plan to expand the modalities (therapeutic approaches) and targets of Grabody-B," adding, "This will enable multiple technology licensing deals."

He explained, "We will broaden the application scope of Grabody-B through various modalities such as antibodies, messenger RNA (mRNA), and antibody-drug conjugates (ADC). Alongside this, we will subdivide targets like amyloid beta and p-tau to increase licensing opportunities." Amyloid beta and p-tau are proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Earlier, on the 7th, ABL Bio signed a Grabody-B technology licensing agreement worth 4 trillion KRW with GSK. Under the contract, ABL Bio will transfer Grabody-B-related technology and know-how, while GSK will be responsible for preclinical and clinical development, manufacturing, and commercialization.

The BBB acts as a protective barrier that blocks harmful substances and factors from entering the brain but has been considered a major obstacle in developing treatments for degenerative brain diseases. Grabody-B is a platform developed to overcome the limitations of existing drugs that have difficulty crossing the BBB. It enables drugs to effectively pass through the BBB and be delivered to the brain via the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R). Through this contract, ABL Bio will receive an upfront payment of 73.9 billion KRW (approximately 38.5 million pounds) and up to 148 billion KRW (approximately 77.1 million pounds) in upfront and short-term milestone payments (royalties) within 30 days.

They have also secured rights to receive up to 3.9623 trillion KRW (approximately 2.063 billion pounds) in development, approval, and commercialization milestones for multiple programs, as well as tiered royalties based on net sales. The total technology licensing contract amount exceeds 4.1 trillion KRW. This is the second-largest contract in the domestic bio industry, following Alteogen's 4.7 trillion KRW technology licensing deal with Merck (MSD) in 2020.

On this day, CEO Lee also announced plans to focus on developing the bile duct cancer drug 'ABL001' (Tobesimig) and bispecific antibody ADCs alongside Grabody-B. ABL001, developed by ABL Bio, is a bispecific antibody drug with global rights held by the U.S. company Compass Therapeutics. Previously, Compass Therapeutics announced topline results from a global Phase 2/3 clinical trial of ABL001 in patients with metastatic and recurrent bile duct cancer, confirming its therapeutic efficacy. CEO Lee expressed, "Bile duct cancer is an area with high unmet needs due to a lack of treatment options," and added, "We expect ABL001 to be approved as a second-line treatment for bile duct cancer next year."

Regarding bispecific antibody ADC development, he introduced pipelines such as 'ABL206.' Unlike single antibodies that recognize one antigen, bispecific antibodies recognize two antigens, allowing more precise binding to cancer cells. ABL206 targets indications including non-small cell lung cancer, ovarian cancer, and triple-negative breast cancer. CEO Lee stated, "We plan to secure the bispecific antibody ADC market by recruiting ADC specialists and utilizing validated antibodies like ABL206." He added, "As of this year, ABL Bio's corporate value will soar explosively," and expressed his ambition, saying, "Through active research and development (R&D), we will leap forward as a global bio company."