LegoChem Biosciences and Iksuda Therapeutics expand License Agreement for development of antibody-drug conjugates

• Expanded agreement grants Iksuda access to Legochem Biosciences’ next generation ADC platform for up
to six targets
• Iksuda also gains access to LegoChem Biosciences’ new payload, supplementing the tumour-activated
payloads accessed in 2020

Newcastle, UK, 22 June, 2021: Iksuda Therapeutics, the developer of a new generation of antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) with raised therapeutic index, today announced that it has expanded its research collaboration and License Agreement with LegoChem Biosciences, Inc. (“LCB”) to explore additional ADC programmes which leverage LCB’s proprietary ADC platform technology.

In April 2020, Iksuda licensed global development and commercialisation rights for three ADC programmes using LCB's ADC linker/toxin platform1. Under this expanded Agreement, Iksuda has now been granted rights for three additional targets, bringing the total number of potential ADC programmes using LCB’s ADC platform technologies to six. Iksuda also gains access to LCB’s innovative and recently discovered novel DNA-modifying payload, supplementing LCB’s proprietary tumour-activated DNA toxins which were included in last year’s License Agreement.

Dr Dave Simpson, Chief Executive Officer, Iksuda Therapeutics, said: “During a successful partnership since signing the multi-target License Agreement last year, Iksuda has nominated two ADC candidates which leverage the differentiated advantages of LCBs prodrug payload technology, with preclinical development underway. We are excited to expand our research into next generation best-in-class ADCs through this wider arrangement with LCB which includes a new payload. We anticipate the discovery of additional candidates for Iksuda’s growing ADC pipeline as a result of this agreement.”

Dr. Yong-Zu Kim, CEO and President of LCB, commented: “We have built a strong partnership with Iksuda through the multi-target ADC platform license and LCB73 (CD19 ADC) product license agreements, completed last April and May respectively. Our partnership has validated the superiority of LCB’s ADC platform technology and the competitive potential of IKS03 (formerly known as LCB73) as an innovative ADC drug. This validation has led to the execution of this expanded license agreement. We will continue to cooperate closely with Iksuda to accelerate the advancement of all LCB-related ADC candidates into clinic.”

Iksuda recently announced that it has completed a $47 million financing round, co-led by Celltrion, Mirae Asset Capital and its subsidiaries, and Premier Partners to support the advancement of its lead ADC assets, including IKS03, and the expansion of its payload platform technologies. This expanded agreement with LCB enables research and development of a new class of payload, adding to Iksuda’s proprietary Protein Alkylating (ProAlk) tumour-activated payload platform, licensed from Göttingen University.

Iksuda’s ADC programmes target tumours that currently have limited treatment options and high relapse rates. The Company’s drug development pipeline is centred on the improved safety and efficacy conferred by tumour activated, prodrug payloads in combination with stable conjugation technologies, including its proprietary novel PermaLink® platform.

1. Press release: LCB and Iksuda Enter into a Multi-Target Research Collaboration (16th April 2020)
About Iksuda Therapeutics: www.iksuda.com
Iksuda Therapeutics is a UK-based biotechnology company focussed on the development of a new generation antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) targeting difficult-to-treat haematological and solid tumours. Iksuda’s pipeline of ADCs is centred on a portfolio of non-prodrug/prodrug DNA and protein alkylating payloads in combination with stable conjugation chemistries including its proprietary PermaLink® platform. The Company’s ADCs portfolio is designed to significantly improve the therapeutic index of this important modality and improve the outcomes for patients living with cancer.

About IKS03
IKS03 is a best-in-class CD19-targeting ADC delivering a tumour-activated prodrug pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD) which was licensed from LegoChem Biosciences (https://iksuda.com/2020/05/licensing-agreement-with-legochem-biosciences/). Preclinical testing demonstrates best-in-class efficacy (vs in-clinic and marketed CD19-targeted therapies) in in vivo xenograft models and significantly raised maximum tolerated dose (MTD) in non-human primate disease models, demonstrating its potential to be the leading anti-CD19 therapy in B-cell cancers. IND is planned for Q4 2021, with initial phase 1 patient data anticipated Q3 2022.

About LegoChem Biosciences, Inc
LegoChem Biosciences, Inc. (LCB) is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of innovative medicines by leveraging its medicinal chemistry expertise to make conventional biologics more targeted and potent for the benefit of patients with diseases of highly unmet medical needs. LCB is advancing sustainable pipelines in therapeutic areas within antibiotics, anti-fibrotics, oncology, and antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) platform technology. In the ADC space, LCB has developed proprietary platform technologies (ConjuAll) of conjugation and linker that enable the design of ADCs with improved efficacy, safety and tolerability compared with existing ADC drugs. Coupled with proprietary payloads, LCB is assembling a robust pipeline of innovative ADC programs in collaboration with global partners.