ABL Bio Inc., a clinical-stage biotech company developing bispecific antibody technology for immuno-oncology and neurodegenerative diseases, has announced a worldwide licensing agreement with GSK. The agreement enables GSK to develop novel medicines for neurodegenerative diseases using ABL Bio's blood-brain barrier (BBB) shuttle platform, Grabody-B. The collaboration aims to develop multiple programs targeting novel mechanisms across various therapeutic modalities, including antibodies, polynucleotides, and oligonucleotides such as siRNA and ASOs, to address significant unmet medical needs in patients with neurodegenerative conditions.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a protective barrier that limits the entry of harmful substances into the brain and poses a major challenge in developing treatments for neurological diseases. ABL Bio's Grabody-B platform was designed to overcome this challenge by targeting the Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 Receptor (IGF1R), facilitating drug penetration across the BBB and enabling efficient delivery into the brain.

As part of the agreement, ABL Bio will receive up to £77.1 million in upfront and near-term payments, including an immediate payment of £38.5 million, research milestones, and potential program expansion. ABL Bio is also eligible for up to £2.075 billion in research, development, regulatory, and commercialization milestone payments across multiple programs. Additionally, ABL Bio will receive tiered royalties on net sales if products are successfully commercialized. The agreement includes the transfer of Grabody-B-related technology and know-how to GSK, which will take responsibility for preclinical and clinical development, manufacturing, and commercialization.

Christopher Austin, SVP of Research Technologies at GSK, stated, “There is a critical need for new therapeutics to treat neurodegenerative brain diseases, which are rapidly increasing in prevalence due to the aging population. Many promising therapies are antibodies that cannot efficiently reach the brain without a shuttle to cross the BBB. This agreement reflects our commitment to innovative platform technologies that overcome the BBB, opening entirely new opportunities for treating these devastating diseases, a key component of our emerging pipeline.”

Sang Hoon Lee, CEO of ABL Bio, said, “This agreement highlights ABL Bio’s leadership in BBB technology and our commitment to advancing transformative therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases through strategic partnerships with global pharmaceutical leaders like GSK. It also strengthens ABL Bio’s position in the neurodegenerative disease treatment market by potentially commercializing Grabody-B and expanding its application in various modalities. With the growing number of patients suffering from diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, we hope this partnership will accelerate the development of innovative treatments and bring renewed hope to patients worldwide.”

Source: https://www.ablbio.com/en/company/news_view/837?keyword=&sort_desc=date