Lantern Pharma, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company using its proprietary RADR artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) platform to transform the cost, pace, and timeline of oncology drug discovery and development, announced it will be leveraging its AI platform, RADR, in a research collaboration with Bielefeld University (Bielefeld, Germany) to develop antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) with high therapeutic and antitumor potential.

The collaboration will leverage insights from Lantern’s recently developed RADR AI ADC module in combination with research from Professor Norbert Sewald, Ph.D., the principal investigator for Bielefeld and leader of Magicbullet::reloaded, a European consortium focused on developing novel drug delivery mechanisms, including ADCs. Outcomes from the collaboration are expected to pave the way for next-generation ADCs and other drug conjugates that are designed using AI and that can be developed with potentially higher efficacy, at a faster pace, and with significantly reduced costs.

The initial aim of the collaboration will be to synthesize and evaluate novel ADCs linked to cryptophycins, which are promising antitumor molecules, in part because of their potency at ultra-low, picomolar, concentrations. The cryptophycin-ADCs will be tested across multiple cancer cell lines and initial results are expected during 2023.

”We have ample experience in structure-activity relationships of cryptophycins as well in the synthesis of ADCs and small molecule-drug conjugates (SMDCs). Teaming up with top researchers from European academia and industry in the consortium of Magicbullet::reloaded further reinforced this capacity. We now look forward to the collaboration with Lantern,” said Dr. Sewald.

“Cryptophycins are an exciting family of highly potent heterocyclic peptides from Cyanobacteria that have demonstrated antitumor potency and can inhibit tumor growth by strongly interfering with microtubule stability and assembly,” stated Kishor Bhatia, Ph.D., Lantern’s Chief Scientific Officer. “Dr. Sewald and his group are experts in the synthesis of cryptophycin derivatives and have established extensive groundwork to support the targeted ADC delivery of cryptophycins. By leveraging our RADR® platform’s AI ADC development module and partnering with Dr. Sewald, we expect to be able to select and advance cryptophycin-ADCs towards the clinic with better targeting and therapeutic efficacy for patients with advanced cancers with limited therapeutic options,” continued Dr. Bhatia.

After the initial aims of the collaboration are completed, Lantern plans to leverage its AI ADC development module, which is fully integrated into RADR®, to launch multiple ADCs that can leverage cryptophycins or other promising payloads. Lantern also expects to use the AI ADC development module with other collaborators, both academic and commercial, to develop promising ADC candidates for launch into targeted clinical trials.

This AI-guided strategy has the potential to de-risk the ADC drug development process, while simultaneously enhancing the creation of effective and targeted ADCs. The rapidly growing global ADC market is currently valued at over $4.0 billion and is projected to reach $14.0 billion by 2027. There are currently 12 ADCs that have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of cancer and approximately 37 ADCs in current late-stage oncology trials.

Under the terms of the collaboration, Dr. Sewald and his group will synthesize, optimize, and provide initial testing of the cryptophycin-ADCs. Lantern is also receiving an exclusive and worldwide option to license intellectual property (IP) from Bielefeld University related to the collaboration and IP generated from the collaboration.