Astellas and Sony Enter ADC Platform Collaboration

Sony, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Group, which handles entertainment, technology, and services, and Astellas Pharma announced a collaborative research agreement on May 16, 2023. Under the agreement, the companies will work to discover a novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) platform in oncology based on Sony’s “KIRAVIA Backbone” organic polymer.

According to a company press release, both companies will jointly develop and optimize a new ADC platform using Sony’s organic polymer as a linker. Additionally, Astellas will conduct non-clinical trials of development candidates. The companies also indicated that they are continuing discussions to expand research partnerships on non-ADC drug discovery platforms.

"Sony's life science business has accumulated substantial knowledge in the field of cell analysis," said Katsunori Ogawa, head of Life Science & Technology Business Unit, Sony, in the release. "Through this collaboration, Sony is striving to contribute to the medical and drug discovery fields and provide further social value by leveraging Sony's technological capabilities in the development of anti-cancer drugs therapy, which are expected to grow."

"We are pleased to enter into a joint research agreement with Sony," said Yoshitsugu Shitaka, chief scientific officer, Astellas Pharma, in the release. "Astellas is working to create innovative drugs from a multifaceted perspective called the Focus Area approach, which identifies combinations of biology, therapeutic modality or technology, and diseases with high unmet medical needs. The partnership will further strengthen our ability to utilize suitable modalities. It is our expectation that the collaboration will lead to the continuous creation of innovative drugs for patients around the world."

Source: Astellas