Samsung Biologics has launched S-DUAL, a high-yield bispecific antibody platform technology that will help it grow its contract development organization (CDO) business.
S-DUAL has a unique asymmetric structure that ensures high binding affinity between chains to produce high titer and purity for optimized manufacturability. Bispecific antibodies are widely used to develop cancer treatments.
An antibody generally recognizes a specific antigen and therefore has limited effectiveness. Samsung Biologics made the structure asymmetrical so an antibody could bind to two different antigens at the same time.
“S-DUAL is similar in structure to immunoglobulin G, the most common type of antibody in people’s blood, so it is less likely to trigger immune responses,” said Lee Jae-sun, vice president of Samsung Biologics, during an online press event on Thursday. . “The asymmetric structure is also useful for distinguishing impurities from proteins.”
The company filed a trademark for S-DUAL in December.
Samsung Biologics hopes the platform will accelerate its CDO business. CDOs, together with their clients, develop cell lines, manufacturing processes and produce drug candidates for early phase clinical trials. They are used by small bio-startups that have the technology but lack the experience or capacity to develop biopharmaceuticals, which are usually long-term projects with low chances of success.
Samsung started the CDO business in 2018 and signed more than 100 CDO agreements by the end of the first half.
The bispecific antibody platform market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 32% to reach $19 billion in 2027.
“With these new development technologies, we are providing early information and ensuring higher yield of molecules, ultimately enabling customers to reach commercialization much more efficiently,” said John Rim, CEO of Samsung Biologics.
BY SARAH CHEA [[email protected]]