News & Activities » SunRock Biopharma and GenScript ProBio Enter into a Collaboration Agreement to Develop Novel Monoclonal Antibody Program

SunRock Biopharma and GenScript ProBio Enter into a Collaboration Agreement to Develop Novel Monoclonal Antibody Program

NANJING, On February 21, 2021, GenScript ProBio and SunRock Biopharma, a company focused on the development of antibody therapeutics targeting cancer, announced a collaboration spanning preclinical discovery to large scale GMP manufacturing for SunRock’s CCR9 therapeutic antibody candidates. GenScript ProBio will provide SunRock Biopharma a one-stop-solution from antibody discovery, cell line development, process development to GMP drug substance and drug product manufacturing services.

By leveraging complementary strengths and capabilities, the parties are committed to the R&D, manufacturing process development, NMPA, FDA & EMA IND filings of CCR9 therapeutic antibodies, towards rapid development of novel antibody therapeutics.

CCR9 is a novel therapeutic target expressed in highly aggressive cancer. It is associated with increased metastatic potential and tumor-chemoresistance. This program will enable new treatment formats with innovative monoclonal antibody drugs of different blood neoplasia and solid tumors with a highly unmet clinical need, such as T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia or pancreatic cancer.

“Collaborating with GenScript ProBio and having access to their excellent production methods will enable us to accelerate the delivery of our antibody to patients in need of novel treatment approaches. Our goal is to start clinical trials in June 2022 and the collaboration with a relevant partner like GenScript ProBio will be key to achieving our goal,” said Juan Buela, General Manager of SunRock.

"We're delighted to collaborate with SunRock Biopharma to accelerate its preclinical CCR9 therapeutic antibody program. Innovation Through Collaboration is GenScript ProBio's vision. GenScript ProBio will facilitate SunRock Biopharma to expand their innovative antibody product pipeline. Committed to "providing best-in-class quality to and serving the interests of customers", GenScript ProBio works to expedite pharmaceutical transformation. Through collaboration, we will explore and shape the landscape of the next-generation differentiated immunotherapy for cancers. With our experience in CMC and GMP manufacturing services alongside support from SunRock Biopharma, an innovative biopharmaceutical company, we expect more patients will benefit from superior treatments," said Dr. Brian Min, CEO of GenScript ProBio.

About SunRock Biopharma

SunRock is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of sophisticated therapeutic antibodies, bispecific antibodies, and bifunctional antibodies to treat several kinds of cancer that are, hitherto, uncurable.

Since its inception in 2014, SunRock has developed a comprehensive pipeline of highly innovative molecules. Seven therapeutic antibodies, bispecific antibodies and bifunctional antibodies have already shown a very high efficacy and safety in murine models of T-ALL, pancreas cancer, rituximab-resistant colon cancer and other difficult to treat tumors.

Nowadays, SunRock’s efforts are mainly focused on the development of anti-CCR9 antibodies, a novel therapeutical target against acute lymphoblastic leukemia T and pancreatic cancer. Besides, SunRock is developing anti-HER3 therapeutic bispecific and bifunctional antibodies against several types of invasive solid tumors.

About GenScript ProBio

GenScript ProBio is the bio-pharmaceutical CDMO segment of GenScript Biotech Corporation (Stock Code: 1548.HK), the global biotechnology group, proactively providing end-to-end service from drug discovery to commercialization with professional solutions and efficient processes to accelerate drug development for customers.