Seattle Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ:SGEN), has announced that it has achieved a milestone under its antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) collaboration agreement with MedImmune, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of AstraZeneca. The milestone was triggered by MedImmune’s initiation of a phase I clinical trial of MEDI-547, its anti-EphA2 ADC for solid tumors.
“With multiple product candidates using our ADC technology now in clinical trials, and additional programs expected to advance into the clinic within the next 12 months, there is continued momentum by us and our collaborators in the development of ADCs for both hematologic malignancies and solid tumors,” said Eric L. Dobmeier, Chief Business Officer of Seattle Genetics. “We believe empowered antibodies are the next step in the evolution of antibody-based therapies because they can deliver targeted cell-killing without the widespread toxicity of conventional chemotherapy.”
ADCs utilize the targeting ability of monoclonal antibodies to deliver potent, cell-killing payloads to specific cells. Seattle Genetics’ technology employs synthetic, highly potent drugs attached to antibodies through proprietary linker systems. The linkers are designed to be stable in the bloodstream but to release the drug payload under specific conditions once inside target cells, thereby sparing non-target cells many of the toxic effects of traditional chemotherapy.