Aptamer Group, PinotBio collaborate to develop Optimer-drug conjugates
Aptamer Group, the developer of Optimer Therapeutics, and PinotBio (Gyeonggi-do, Korea), a clinical-stage oncology-focused biotechnology company, have entered into a strategic collaboration agreement. The agreement is to develop Optimer-drug conjugates for targeted drug delivery combining Aptamer Group’s Optimer technology with PinotBio’s technology using the chemotherapeutic FL-118 compound with specific linker.
Optimer therapeutics are optimized aptamer solutions. Optimer-drug conjugates offer uniquely specific targeting vehicles for the delivery of therapeutic agents to selected cell populations and tissues for the treatment of disease. PinotBio’s FL-118 payload system is a novel camptothecin-based payload to be used in various carrier-drug conjugates, including Optimer-drug conjugates. FL-118 shows strong anti-cancer effects against various tumour models and at the same time possesses good safety profiles to be developed as a part of the multi-target collaboration. Aptamer will provide the developed Optimers to Pinotbio for use with their payload and linker technologies. PinotBio will generate and optimize Optimerdrug conjugates against multiple undisclosed targets. PinotBio will carry out pre-clinical research and development to evaluate each of the Optimer-drug conjugates and their potential to progress as clinical candidates for the treatment of haematological cancers, such as leukaemia, lymphoma, and myeloma.
The commercial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
