Biotheus Inc. and Alligator Bioscience Announce Strategic Collaboration to Develop Multispecific Antibodies Targeting TNFRSF

Recently, Biotheus Inc. (“Biotheus”) announced that it has officially entered into a strategic collaboration agreement with Alligator Bioscience AB (“Alligator”). Under the terms of the agreement, Biotheus will have the rights to utilize agonistic antibodies targeting members of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily (TNFRSF), developed by Alligator, for the construction of multispecific antibodies.

Pumice Biopharma was registered and established in 2018 by Mr. Liu Xiaolin, who brings over 20 years of extensive experience in the biopharmaceutical industry. The company has a registered capital of USD 25 million. Pumice Biopharma focuses on oncology and metabolic diseases, dedicating itself to the research, development, and industrialization of innovative biological drugs in China. To date, the company has completed two rounds of financing, securing investments exceeding RMB 200 million from renowned venture capital firms, and has received strong support from local governments.

Promis is advancing more than 10 Class I novel biologic drug projects in China, including monoclonal antibodies and multifunctional antibodies, with a future focus on the development of next-generation bispecific antibody therapeutics. Promis possesses proprietary antibody discovery platforms as well as bifunctional and multifunctional antibody engineering platforms, enabling simultaneous blockade of immune suppression and modulation of the tumor microenvironment. Compared with existing cancer immunotherapies, these candidates are expected to enhance drug distribution at tumor sites and exhibit superior penetration in solid tumors.

Alligator is a biotechnology company primarily engaged in the development of tumor-targeted antibody drugs, listed on NASDAQ. ALLIGATOR-GOLD® is Alligator’s proprietary and most important antibody library, featuring an immense capacity that enables the development of functional antibodies against any potential target. Antibodies generated using ALLIGATOR-GOLD® can maximally mimic or even surpass the properties of natural human antibodies. Meanwhile, Alligator possesses extensive expertise in generating anti-TNFRSF antibodies with high biological activity.

Novel agonist antibodies targeting TNFRSF represent a critical component of Promab’s product pipeline. TNFRSF comprises molecules with complex biological functions, and the development of corresponding agonist antibodies requires careful consideration of multiple factors to enhance antitumor activity against tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes while minimizing drug toxicity. Promab has partnered with Alligator Bioscience to leverage its ALLIGATOR-Gold® antibody library and expertise in generating anti-TNFRSF antibodies with high biological activity, thereby enabling the construction of superior multispecific antibody therapeutics and facilitating the smooth advancement of these projects.

Regarding this strategic collaboration, Dr. Zeng Junwei, Vice President of Bio-Thera Solutions, stated, “Alligator has conducted in-depth research on the biological background of TNFRSF and has accumulated extensive experience in developing agonistic antibodies targeting TNFRSF. Through our partnership with Alligator, Bio-Thera Solutions will gain significant benefits in the development of TNFRSF-targeting agonistic antibodies. This collaboration also marks Alligator’s first partnership with a Chinese biotechnology company, and we believe it will foster our mutual growth.”

Promis Biotech (Zhuhai) Co., Ltd. was established in July 2018, with a registered capital of USD 25 million. Promis focuses on the fields of malignant tumors and metabolic diseases, dedicating itself to the research, development, and industrialization of innovative national biopharmaceuticals, with a particular emphasis on next-generation dual-target innovative biologics. Since its inception, the company has completed over RMB 200 million in angel and Pre-A round financing, signed cooperation agreements with the Zhuhai High-Tech Industrial Development Zone government, and received multiple policy supports from the High-Tech Zone government.

Alligator Bioscience is a biotechnology company engaged in the development of tumor-targeted antibody drugs. It is listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm exchange, with its headquarters located in Lund, Sweden.