IMBiologics has joined forces with GC Pharma to develop next-generation treatments for autoimmune diseases.
IMBiologics, a specialist in antibody therapies for autoimmune disorders, announced on Monday that it has entered into a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) with GC Pharma to develop a novel targeted bispecific antibody for autoimmune diseases.
Under this agreement, GC Pharma will explore new bispecific antibody combinations using IMBiologics’s innovative immunomodulatory antibody IMB-105. The two companies plan to select the most promising antibody combination based on research outcomes and will consider further collaborations, including joint research and licensing agreements.
IMB-105 is IMBiologics’s candidate antibody drug being developed as a first-in-class treatment for autoimmune diseases. It’s designed to suppress excessive immune responses and restore immune balance through a novel mechanism that regulates upstream immune signals, differentiating it from existing treatments.
Specifically, the development aims to inhibit inflammatory cytokine production, regulate overactive effector T cells (Teff), and restore balance with regulatory T cells (Treg). This approach seeks to offer a groundbreaking treatment method for addressing immune system abnormalities, widely considered a root cause of autoimmune diseases.
GC Pharma will identify new targets compatible with IMB-105 and evaluate the potential for developing bispecific antibodies to enhance T cell balance regulation. Based on these findings, both companies intend to select the most promising antibody combinations and refine their development strategies.
In 2024, IMBiologics licensed its autoimmune disease candidates IMB-101 and IMB-102 to Navigator Medicine.
Following a contract restructuring, the total value of the technology transfer deal expanded to approximately 1.8 trillion KRW (about 1.34 billion USD), with Navigator Medicine securing global development and commercialization rights, excluding South Korea.
Among these candidates, the bispecific antibody IMB-101, which targets both OX40L and tumor necrosis factor (TNF), is currently in Phase 2 clinical trials in the U.S. for the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa.
Through this collaboration, IMBiologics plans to broaden the application of its antibody engineering technology. The company is pursuing strategies to enhance IMB-105’s competitiveness using its proprietary Fc region design and modification technology, alongside its novel autoimmune disease treatment development platform Selicon-T, while also expanding its portfolio of bispecific antibody candidates.
Dr. Ha Kyung-sik, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IMBiologics, stated that this collaboration with GC Pharma represents a significant opportunity to validate IMB-105’s technical scalability and the potential for developing novel bispecific antibodies. It aims to maximize IMB-105’s product competitiveness using the Fc engineering technology and the Selicon-T platform, while building a robust franchise strategy through the development of various innovative bispecific antibody combinations.
Dr. Jeong Jae-wook, Head of Research and Development (R&D) at GC Pharma, emphasized that by combining the antibody R&D expertise with IMBiologics’s immunomodulatory antibody pipeline, it will explore multiple avenues for developing next-generation autoimmune disease treatments. It’s committed to leveraging the synergy of the core technologies to provide new treatment options for patients in the autoimmune disease field, where there remains a significant unmet medical need.