Shanghai, Hangzhou, February 28, 2022 — Hangzhou Sumgen Biotech Co., Ltd. ("Sumgen") and Shanghai Escugen Biotechnology Co., Ltd. ("Escugen") have reached a strategic cooperation agreement to jointly develop a new generation of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). Both parties will jointly bear the costs of specific product development and commercialization, share global rights and commercial profits, and achieve risk-sharing and maximization of benefits.
Sumgen has independently developed a series of innovative antibodies targeting antigens suitable for ADC development, focusing on the unique requirements of highly efficient ADC drugs for guidance antibodies, recognizing unique antigen epitopes, and demonstrating significant tumor tissue specificity and internalization activity. Escugen's ADC technology employs low-toxicity or entirely novel mechanism payloads, utilizes stable and uniform conjugation methods, and highly stable linkers that release toxins specifically within tumor tissues, showing significant differentiated advantages in safety, efficacy, and process robustness. The combination of these superior technologies will focus on overcoming key shortcomings in existing ADC technologies during the development of the new generation of ADCs. Both parties will integrate their resources organically to accelerate the development of the new generation of ADCs and fully unleash the potential for the development and application of a broader range of targets.
Dr. Zhou Qing, Founder and CEO of Escugen, said: "Escugen focuses on the development of new drugs based on monoclonal antibodies and innovative ADCs, guided by clinical needs, and integrates target innovation, technological differentiation, and differentiated clinical development pathways to continuously create innovative products. Over the past few years, Escugen has made in-depth and extensive technical accumulations and talent reserves in the ADC field, conducted in-depth exploration in the field of novel antibody conjugates, and advanced ADC pipelines to the clinical development stage. Sumgen has keen insights and profound technical accumulation in antibody pipeline layout. This cooperation between Escugen and Sumgen in the ADC field will expand our innovative achievements in ADCs to a broader range of targets and clinical indications."
Dr. Lv Ming, Founder and CEO of Sumgen, said: "Sumgen has always adhered to technology innovation leading product innovation, based on independent innovation, actively introducing external advantageous technologies, broadening the width of innovation, and deepening the depth of innovation. This cooperation with Escugen will be an important milestone in Sumgen's layout in the ADC field. We are looking forward to Escugen's ADC technology reserves and platform strength. The exploration and development of the next generation of antibody therapies by both parties will provide more and better treatment options for global patients."
From left: Dr. Miao Shiwei (Sumgen), Dr. Zhou Qing (Escugen), Dr. Lv Ming (Sumgen), Dr. He Feng (Escugen)
About Escugen Biotechnology
Founded in 2017 in the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, Pudong New District, Shanghai, Escugen Biotechnology focuses on the development of new drugs based on innovative monoclonal antibodies. The company was founded by veteran returnees with decades of R&D experience in both international and domestic biopharmaceutical companies. The founding team has accumulated rich and successful R&D experience in leading biopharmaceutical companies both domestically and internationally, with capabilities covering antibody discovery, process development and quality research, preclinical and clinical studies. The company continuously tracks new technologies, targets, and processes in the field of antibody drugs, explores innovative uses of new technologies, and has built a series of product pipelines with distinct competitive advantages, including ADCs with "best-in-class" potential and innovative antibodies targeting "first-in-class" targets. The company will continue to introduce multiple innovative product pipelines into clinical trials. The company has also established a global business cooperation and expansion network, reaching business and strategic cooperation with several top global biotechs. Escugen's core product, ESG-401, is a Trop-2-targeted ADC. Research data have shown its significant safety, efficacy, and process advantages. ESG-401 was launched into clinical trials in July 2021, and early clinical data further solidify its best-in-class product potential, with future potential to expand into multiple combination therapies and solid tumor indications.
About Hangzhou Sumgen Biotech Co., Ltd.
Hangzhou Sumgen Biotech Co., Ltd. is an innovation-driven biopharmaceutical company committed to the research and development and commercialization of innovative antibody drugs for major diseases such as cancer. The company has a team of experienced professionals, with several academicians serving as scientific advisors. It has established internationally leading R&D centers in Beijing, Hangzhou, and other places. Focusing on the oncology field, the company has laid out a series of original products, with five projects initiated for clinical studies both domestically and internationally and over 80 global invention patents filed. Sumgen has received multiple rounds of investment from well-known institutions such as HanKang Capital, CNBG, Yidacapital, Huarui Investment, Tongchuang Venture Capital, JunChuan Capital, and Zhejiang Venture Capital. The company has reached several cooperation agreements with enterprises such as CSPC Group and CNBG. Sumgen has initiated the construction of an international-standard production base, dedicated to providing high-quality Chinese antibodies for global patients.
