Samsung BioLogics to produce antibody candidate

Samsung BioLogics said Monday that it has signed an agreement to contract-develop a therapeutic antibody candidate to treat oncology and neovascular disorders from Daejeon-based PharmAbcine.

Under the agreement, Samsung BioLogics will lead cell line development, process development and the manufacturing of the PMC-402 antibody for non-clinical and clinical studies.

PMC-402 has shown signs of enhancing the delivery of immune cells and cancer therapeutics in treating tumor cells through the active recovery of leaky blood vessels during initial studies, according to PharmAbcine.

The company is known for its lead molecule olinvacimab, which is in Phase 2 clinical studies as a combination therapy with Merck’s Keytruda in treating cancer.

PharmAbcine plans to start Phase 1 global clinical trials in 2021 after running safety tests this year.

By Ko Jun-tae