22 July 2026: Samsung Bioepis enters into a commercial license agreement with IntoCell for an ADC candidate
Samsung Bioepis has entered into a commercial license agreement with IntoCell for SBE303, a Nectin-4-targeted antibody-drug conjugate, securing exclusive global commercial rights to its first novel ADC candidate and marking the first commercial licensing deal under the companies’ broader ADC collaboration
SBE303 is currently being evaluated in a phase 1 first-in-human trial in patients with advanced refractory solid tumors. The ADC is designed to improve the therapeutic window of Nectin-4-targeted therapies by enhancing antitumor activity while addressing the dose-limiting toxicities associated with currently available Nectin-4 ADCs
The collaboration is based on the companies’ 2023 research agreement covering the joint development of up to five ADC candidates using IntoCell’s proprietary linker-payload technology, with SBE303 becoming the first program to advance into a commercial licensing agreement
SBE303 combines a highly specific anti-Nectin-4 monoclonal antibody with a novel topoisomerase I inhibitor payload through IntoCell’s proprietary linker technology, aiming to enhance efficacy and improve safety across Nectin-4-expressing solid tumors, including urothelial, lung, and breast cancers
Strategically, the agreement represents a major milestone in Samsung Bioepis’ expansion beyond biosimilars into innovative oncology therapeutics, strengthens its emerging ADC pipeline, and reinforces its long-term strategy of building a differentiated portfolio through partnerships leveraging advanced linker-payload technologies