Araris Biotech Publishes Foundational Science Behind its Novel Antibody-Drug Conjugate Platform in ChemBioChem

First characterization of its novel conjugation technology for creating stable, well-defined ADCs with linkers that enable payload attachment to native, unmodified antibodies at a universally conserved site

Araris’ ADCs demonstrated a best-in-class profile that are highly specific for target tumor cells, efficacious and well tolerated at high doses in vivo

Pioneering platform unlocks unprecedented precision, flexibility and versatility as well as ease of manufacturing as they advance new technologies for ADC design

AU ZH, SWITZERLAND, 12 November 2024 – Araris Biotech AG (“Araris”), a Swiss oncology biotech company developing next-generation antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), today announced the publication of a new technology for ADC generation that supports its foundational technology platform. The publication in ChemBioChem showcases, for the first time, a process for creating stable, well-defined ADCs with small positively charged peptide linkers. Such linkers enable the direct modification of native, unmodified, ‘off-the-shelf’ IgG antibodies at the universally conserved glutamine residue 295 (Q295) with high precision and therapeutic activity.

Araris is pioneering the development of best-in-class ADCs with superior design, high linker solubility and simple manufacturing that address the shortcomings of current generation ADCs. Foundational to its approach is its novel, proprietary ADC linker platform that enables conjugation of two or more different payloads to an ‘off-the-shelf’ antibody at a specific site in one step without re-engineering the antibody.

“This publication marks a significant milestone and validation of our underlying ADC technology,” said Philipp Spycher, Ph.D., Co-founder, Chief Scientific Officer at Araris Biotech. “Our technology enables site-specific conjugation of various payloads to ready-to-use antibodies in a simple process that allows us to create more effective and safer ADCs. Homogeneous, site-specifically conjugated antibodies have shown to result in ADCs with improved efficacy and tolerability compared to stochastically conjugated ADCs, but precisely controlling the drug load and attaching multiple payload moieties on the antibody has been a challenge. By demonstrating precise control over drug loading and enabling the attachment of multiple payloads, Araris is overcoming these challenges and providing new technologies for ADC design. We’re pleased to see that our ADCs were well tolerated overall even at high doses, and the impressive efficacy demonstrated by our ADCs underscores the potential of this approach.”

In the publication, the scientists created highly homogeneous and stable ADCs directly from ‘off-the-shelf’ available antibodies. It was discovered that small positively charged peptide linkers could be attached to native, fully glycosylated antibodies at Q295 with excellent efficacy without the need for any antibody engineering step, preserving key immunological mechanisms of the antibody. The ADCs demonstrated potent in vitro cytotoxicity against target-positive cell lines. Furthermore, the ADCs were highly efficacious and well-tolerated at high doses in an in vivo study.

Filippo Mulinacci, Ph.D., MBA, Chief Business Officer at Araris Biotech added: “The ADC technology reported in the ChemBioChem publication forms the foundation of our pipeline of next-generation ADC candidates. Our technology efficiently conjugates multiple payloads to an off-the-shelf antibody, combining in a single package the power of combination chemotherapies with the precision of monoclonal antibodies. We believe the features of our technology and platform-based approach allow us to accelerate the development of next-generation ADCs to tackle cancer heterogeneity and resistance across a broad range of tumor types and may ultimately lead to improved safety and better outcomes for patients.”

About Araris Biotech AG

Araris Biotech is a pioneering leader in the development of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) with the potential for unparalleled efficacy and tolerability. The Araris ADC technology AraLinQ™ enables best-in-class ADCs with significantly enhanced efficacy and tolerability. The proprietary conjugation technology AraLinQ™ exploits native Q295 for site-specific payload attachment in one-step and has consistently shown to result in ADCs with an antibody-like exposure profile even at high drug-load without the use of any polymeric solubility enhancers. The ADC technology can be applied directly to any existing off-the-shelf antibody without engineering and enables the generation of single or multi-payload ADCs from off-the-shelf linker-payloads. Araris has a strong commitment to transforming the landscape of ADCs, providing patients with groundbreaking treatment options for diseases of high unmet medical needs.