AACR 2025 preview – China dares to be different

The melee of antibody-drug conjugates being presented at this month's AACR conference encompasses new targets, multispecifics and even dual payloads, but one approach could beat them all for boldness. This is LBL-058, originated by Nanjing Leads Biolabs, which appears to be the world's only disclosed T-cell engager that carries an ADC payload. The company, which calls LBL-058 a T-cell engager conjugate, says its aim was to combine T-cell activation with delivery of a cytotoxic payload to tumour cells displaying a target antigen, in this case DLL3. Its AACR abstract says the balance between the two modalities has had to be fine-tuned, with affinity for DLL3 dialled up, and that for CD3 toned down to reduce cytotoxicity arising from payload release while LBL-058 is bound to T cells. The fact LBL-058 is even being developed is another indication of Chinese biopharma's ability to test seemingly any idea, however outlandish. Leads Biolabs will also present LBL-054, which hits CDH17, one of the hottest new ADC targets at AACR. Here Sotio recently revealed its hand with SOT109, and among AACR presentations SOT109 and LBL-058 will be joined by at least 10 other anti-CDH17 ADC projects from Chinese players alone.

When TCE met ADC

Source: AACR.