GSK has partnered with ABL Bio to develop advanced treatments for neurodegenerative diseases using ABL Bio’s blood-brain barrier (BBB) shuttle platform, Grabody-B.
ABL Bio’s Grabody-B platform targets the Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 Receptor (IGF1R) to facilitate drug penetration across the BBB, enhancing delivery into the brain.
Under the global licensing agreement, ABL Bio will receive up to £77.1m in upfront and near-term payments, including an immediate £38.5m payment.
Also, it is eligible for up to £2.075bn in milestone payments across multiple programmes, along with tiered royalties on net sales if products are commercialised.
The collaboration aims to create multiple programmes targeting novel therapeutic modalities, including antibodies and oligonucleotides, to treat neurodegenerative conditions.
GSK research technologies SVP Christopher Austin said: “There is a critical need for new therapeutics to treat neurodegenerative brain diseases, which are rapidly increasing in prevalence due to the ageing of the population.
“Many of the most promising new therapies are antibodies, which cannot efficiently reach the brain without a shuttle to get them across the BBB.
“This agreement reflects our commitment to innovative platform technologies to overcome the BBB and thus open entirely new opportunities for treating these devastating diseases, an important component of our emerging pipeline.”
ABL Bio will transfer Grabody-B technology and know-how to GSK, which will oversee preclinical and clinical development, manufacturing, and commercialisation.
The biotech company is advancing various assets based on its bispecific antibody platform, Grabody, with clinical projects underway in Australia, China, Korea, and the US.
Among these projects, ABL001 (tovecimig) has received Fast Track designation from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for expedited development.
ABL111 (givastomig), co-developed with I-Mab, is set to reveal top-line data from its Phase 1b trial in 2025, evaluating a triple combination therapy.
ABL Bio is also preparing to initiate clinical trials for ABL104 and continues to research bispecific antibody-drug conjugates.
ABL Bio CEO Sang Hoon Lee said: “This agreement underscores ABL Bio’s leadership in BBB technology and its commitment to advancing transformative therapeutics in neurodegenerative diseases through strategic partnership with global pharmaceutical leaders like GSK.
“Additionally, this agreement will serve as a great opportunity to strengthen ABL Bio’s position in the neurodegenerative disease treatment market through the potential commercialisation of Grabody-B and to expand the modality areas where Grabody-B can be utilised.
“Given the increasing number of patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, we hope this partnership will accelerate the development of innovative treatments and bring renewed hope to patients worldwide.”
