UK biotech Glythera has launched a project to develop next-generation antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) for difficult-to-treat tumors, backed by funding of £1 million from government agency Innovate UK.

Dave Simpson, Glythera’s CEO, said the company is poised to bring a new generation of oncology focused therapies to the clinic that could potentially treat a variety of cancers that are associated with high relapse rates with current therapy. “With Innovate UK’s support, we aim to build a portfolio of much-needed, safe treatments to improve the lives of patients living with these devastating cancers,” he said.

ADCs are an emerging class of targeted therapeutics for treating cancer. By combining the targeting power of antibodies with the capability of highly potent toxins to kill cells, ADCs can potentially kill tumor cells while also limiting damage to healthy tissues.

Glythera said ADCs that are generated by its proprietary platform PermaLink could potentially improve clinical utility through their significantly enhanced conjugation stability, giving a better therapeutic index and overall tumor response.

The project aims to develop a portfolio of PermaLink-based ADCs by combining novel high-potency toxins with a series of ADC-viable, tumor-specific antibodies, selected according to pre-defined criteria and specifically focused towards antigens that are over-expressed in cancers that are difficult to treat.

The data generated from in vitro and in vivo studies of the conjugates will be used to prioritize the most promising candidates for pre-clinical development programs. Glythera said it intends to identify its first clinical candidate for “first-in-man” studies in 2019.

Glythera has partnered with contract research organization Covance for the project.