Daiichi Sankyo gins up antibody research project with German research institute

Daiichi Sankyo is turning to the German city of Heidelberg for help developing antibodies. The Japanese pharma giant is teaming up with independent research institute BioMed X to form a new research group to work on targeting solid tumors with multispecific biologics, including antibodies.

The goal of the project, called “new strategies for targeting of solid tumors with multi-specific biologics” (MTT), is to develop therapies that bind to multiple targets within the tumor microenvironment, BioMed X said in a Jan. 14 release. Doing so is meant to engage several antitumor signaling pathways at once, according to the release, which could lead to greater efficacy than current treatments.

“Partnering with Daiichi Sankyo on the MTT project allows us to expand our research in oncology, focusing on next-generation biologics that can truly make a difference for cancer patients,” BioMed’s founder and managing director Christian Tidona said in the release. “This collaboration exemplifies our commitment to pioneering innovative therapeutic approaches.”

BioMed X is looking to hire five scientists to work on the project, according to the application website. The institute is seeking proposals from interested researchers centered on identifying new solid tumor target combinations and validating those targets in vitro and in vivo, BioMed said in the release.

Once hired, the new research team will become the eighth housed at BioMed X’s Heidelberg headquarters, the institute said. Other oncology research teams are investigating the roles of extrachromosomal DNA, DNA damage responses and white blood cells called neutrophils in cancer.