Samsung Biologics teams with LegoChem to advance ADCs

Under the terms of the deal, contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO) Samsung Biologics will provide development and manufacturing for part of LegoChem’s antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) program aimed to treat solid tumors.

While specific drug candidates were not disclosed, LegoChem said it intends to submit an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the first half of next year.

“We cannot disclose the financial terms regarding the latest partnership,” a spokesperson for Samsung Biologics told BioProcess Insider. However, the spokesperson did confirm that “the services will be provided at Samsung Biologics' biomanufacturing site in Songdo, South Korea.”

ADC activity

This latest ADC deal follows the CDMO’s statement it is “on track” to complete the build-out of its ADC facility at Plant Five in the Songdo district of Incheon, South Korea.

“Samsung Biologics is on track to completing the construction of a standalone, dedicated ADC facility this year. We are investing in ADC as part of our continued efforts to expand our business portfolio and proactively address the needs of our clients and the dynamic market environment,” said the spokesperson.

In December 2022, Samsung Biologics said it was looking to move into the ADC market in 2023. Since then, the company has made a string of investments in the ADC space through partnerships and its investment wing, the Samsung Life Science Fund. The fund is a join creation between Samsung Biologics, Samsung C&T, and Samsung Bioepis, which is managed by Samsung Ventures Investment Corporation (Samsung Ventures).

In September 2023, the company inked an ADC development pact with AimedBio after Samsung Ventures took an undisclosed stake in the company. The fund also invested in Araris Biotech to support future advancement of potential candidates for ADCs in April 2023.

“We are committed to staying at the forefront of advanced ADC technology by making strategic investments through the Samsung Life Science Fund,” the spokesperson told us.