The antigen is an ovarian-specific developmental signaling protein. While normally restricted to ovary, testis and adrenal tissues, it becomes highly expressed in ovarian, endometrial and cervical cancers as well as several non-gynecological malignancies including renal, hepatic, colorectal and lung tumors. Notably, the antigen exhibits frequent overexpression particularly across treatment-resistant, aggressive and metastatic cancers. This tumor-specific expression profile makes it an exciting prospect for a precision oncology approach.

The agreement provides MABS access to a diverse panel of lead fully-human monoclonal antibody assets generated via Biocytogen's industry-leading RenMabTM and RenLite® transgenic mouse platforms. Leveraging the platforms' fully-human antibody repertoires and high immune diversity, Biocytogen has succeeded in developing potential best-in-class antibody candidates recognizing this novel disease protein.

Manhattan Bio will evaluate the antibodies in cellular and biochemical assays studies to assess binding affinity, internalization, species cross-reactivity, and other developability parameters to determine suitability for incorporation into antibody-based therapeutic modalities carrying MABS’ proprietary RNA targeting payloads. The most promising candidates may be selected by MABS’ for further development into precision medicines for the treatment of chemoresistant, aggressive or metastatic tumors.

“We are extremely pleased to begin this high-potential collaboration on what we believe are groundbreaking antibodies against an emerging cancer target,” said Dr. Boris Shor, CEO of Manhattan Bio. “Combining these unique assets with our next-generation payload technologies offers an exciting opportunity to make a difference for patients battling lethal tumors with limited treatment options available.”

“We are excited to provide MABS with our fully human antibodies for the development of novel ADC therapeutics,” said Dr. Yuelei Shen, President and CEO of Biocytogen. “Our well-characterized antibodies, demonstrating favorable internalization activity, hold great promise in facilitating the delivery of MABS’ novel RNA nuclease payloads for tumor treatment. This collaboration may expand the applications of our therapeutic antibodies in the field of ADC and make previous small molecule-undruggable targets druggable.”

Additional financial details were not disclosed.

About Manhattan BioSolutionsManhattan BioSolutions, Inc is a privately held biotechnology company focused on the development of biologic immunotherapies targeting host defense pathways for the treatment of advanced cancers. The company advances two technology platforms for drug discovery: RNA-degrader proteins, and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) - through collaborations with leading academic institutions. Manhattan Bio has established partnerships with the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Stony Brook University, The University at Buffalo, Binghamton University, INSERM, Nascent Biotech, EVQLV, and has been awarded grants by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology (CSIT), the New York State Center For Biotechnology and the University at Buffalo Center for Advanced Technology in Big Data and Health Sciences (UBCAT). Learn more at manhattanbiosolutions.com and follow Manhattan BioSolutions on (https://www.linkedin.com/company/manhattanbio/) or Twitter (https://twitter.com/TheManhattanBio)

About BiocytogenBiocytogen (HKEX: 02315) is a global biotechnology company that drives the research and development of novel antibody-based drugs with innovative technologies. Founded on gene editing technology, Biocytogen leverages genetically engineered proprietary RenMice® (RenMabTM/RenLite®/RenNano®/RenTCR-mimicTM) platforms for fully human monoclonal/bispecific/multispecific antibody discovery, bispecific antibody-drug conjugate discovery, nanobody discovery and TCR-mimic antibody discovery, and has established an off-the-shelf library of >400,000 fully human antibody sequences against approximately 1000 targets for worldwide collaboration. As of June 30, 2023, 50 therapeutic antibody and multiple clinical asset co-development/out-licensing/transfer agreements and 42 target-nominated RenMice® licensing projects have been established around the globe, including several partnerships with multinational pharmaceutical companies (MNCs). Biocytogen pioneered the generation of drug target knock-in humanized models for preclinical research, and currently provides a few thousand off-the-shelf animal and cell models under the company’s sub-brand, BioMiceTM, along with preclinical pharmacology and gene-editing services for clients worldwide. Headquartered in Beijing, Biocytogen has branches in China (Haimen Jiangsu, Shanghai), USA (Boston, San Francisco), and Germany (Heidelberg). For more information, please visit http://en.biocytogen.com.cn.

Contact for investor inquiries:Jordana Lovett, PhDDirector of Investor Relations(857) 600-1021 ir@manhattanbiosolutions.com

Biocytogen ContactsAntibody assets and platforms: BD-Licensing@biocytogen.comMedia: pr@bbctg.com.cn