Medannex Secures SMART grant to develop a ‘biological missile’ to tackle cancers

Edinburgh-based biotechnology company Medannex today announced it has been awarded £97,000 in Scottish Enterprise SMART funding to develop a novel antibody drug conjugate (ADC) to treat pancreatic cancer and other tumours that present a critical unmet medical need. 

The project will focus on advancing MDX-201, an innovative ADC that links a cytotoxic payload with our first-in-class monoclonal antibody (MDX-124) that targets annexin-A1.

Pancreatic cancer treatments remain limited with five-year survival rates still in the single digits, and annexin-A1 is overexpressed in around 85% of cases. Annexin-A1 is also implicated in numerous other tumour types and is known to rewire cancer cell behaviour, fuelling tumour growth, metastasis and drug resistance whilst reshaping the tumour microenvironment.

Extensive clinical and non-clinical data have been published showing the therapeutic potential of MDX-124 in several oncology indications, as well as its benign safety profile and synergy with various chemotherapies. By combining the specificity and efficacy of MDX-124 with a potent cytotoxic payload, we will create a highly targeted ADC acting as a ‘biological missile’ to deliver anti-cancer agents directly to tumours while minimising damage to healthy tissue.

Medannex CEO Ian Abercrombie said:

Securing SMART funding is a significant milestone for us. This support enables us to accelerate the development of a potentially transformative ADC therapy with strong efficacy and minimal side effects, for cancer patients who currently face extremely limited treatment options and poor survival rates.

The grant-funded project will focus on optimising the ADC design, evaluating its efficacy in preclinical models and generating key data to support future development.