Intucell expands ADC pipeline with new payloads, targets 5 additions this year

Intucell, a company specializing in antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) platforms, is expanding its payload and linker technology lineup as it pushes to broaden global technology exports. The company plans to widen the range of applicable drugs while adding five new targets to its proprietary ADC pipeline before year-end, pursuing technology exports on both the platform and pipeline fronts.

Park Tae-gyo, CEO of Intucell, laid out the company's new payload and linker technologies, its proprietary pipeline progress and its commercialization strategy at a press briefing held Wednesday at the CCMM Building in Yeouido, Seoul.

Intucell has secured two new payloads: an enhanced version of its existing Nexatecan — dubbed new NxT — with improved potency and activity, and an alcohol group-based compound called iso-Nexatecan (iso-NxT). According to the company, iso-NxT demonstrated more than four times the tumor suppression efficacy of the global ADC therapy Enhertu at equivalent doses in in vivo studies conducted by an external contract research organization.

Development of the "TBA linker," designed to conjugate the new payloads, is also in its final stages. While the existing OHPAS linker connects phenol- and amine-group drugs, the TBA linker will extend conjugation capability to neutral-group drugs, including those with alcohol groups. Intucell plans to broaden the platform's applicability by enabling combinations of various linkers and payloads.

The company is also expanding its proprietary pipeline, aiming to add five new targets this year on top of its existing five programs. "Two have already been identified and we are preparing the remaining three," Park said. The lead pipeline candidate, B7-H3 ADC ITC-6146RO, is currently in Phase 1a clinical trials at three major hospitals in South Korea, with interim data expected around year-end. The follow-on program, a 5T4 ADC, has also entered the preclinical stage.

Collaboration with Samsung Bioepis continues. The two companies have conducted joint research since December 2023 to identify up to five new ADC drug candidates, and last month signed a full contract agreement (CLA) covering the first target.

Research and development investment is ongoing. According to the company's half-year report, Intucell spent 5.11 billion won ($3.62 million) on R&D in the first half of this year. As of the end of June, its R&D headcount stood at 38, accounting for more than 88 percent of its total workforce of 43.

Intucell plans to pursue additional technology exports targeting domestic and overseas pharmaceutical and biotech companies, including follow-on programs with Samsung Bioepis. The company also intends to deepen ties with major global CMO firms to expand access points for supplying its linker-payload technology to customers worldwide.

"I sincerely apologize to our shareholders for the concern caused by unexpected prior patent issues and the resulting delays to our planned schedule," Park said. "We will do our utmost to achieve strong results in the global market on the strength of our differentiated technology."