Research and Development Collaborations
Sutro’s Research and Development Collaborations allow our partners to leverage our drug discovery and development capabilities and our proprietary XpressCF® cell-free protein synthesis and XpressCF+® site-specific conjugation platforms. Our proprietary technologies enable precision design and rapid empirical optimization of protein therapeutics and protein conjugates; and our cGMP cell-free manufacturing capabilities advance our novel development candidates from the lab to the clinic.
Sutro entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Celgene Corporation in 2012 to discover and develop Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs) and bispecific antibodies for oncology indications. Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) acquired Celgene in 2019 and assumed the rights and obligations of our collaboration agreement with Celgene. The research collaboration resulted in the discovery and development of CC-99712, a clinical-stage ADC targeting BCMA. BMS holds worldwide development and commercialization rights to CC-99712, while Sutro is responsible for manufacturing early-stage clinical supply using our XpressCF+® technology.
In 2014, Sutro entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany (also known as EMD Serono in the US) to discover and develop novel Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs). The research collaboration resulted in the discovery and development of M1231, a clinical-stage bispecific ADC targeting MUC1-EGFR. M1231 was discovered and optimized by leveraging Merck KgaA’s strand-exchange. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt Germany, holds worldwide development and commercialization rights to M1231, while Sutro is responsible for manufacturing early-stage supply using our XpressCF+® technology.
In 2021, Sutro initiated a collaboration and licensing agreement with Tasly Biopharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Tasly”), a holding subsidiary of Tasly Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd. (SHA:600535) for the development and commercialization of STRO-002 in Greater China, consisting of mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. STRO-002 is a FolRα-targeting antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), currently in clinical studies for patients with ovarian and endometrial cancers in the U.S. and Europe.
In 2018, Sutro initiated a collaboration and licensing agreement with Merck Sharpe & Dohme, or Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, to discover and develop novel immune-modulating cytokine derivatives for for oncology and autoimmune indications. Under the agreement, Sutro is primarily responsible for preclinical drug discovery and Merck holds exclusive worldwide development and commercialization rights to therapeutic candidates derived from the collaboration. Sutro is also responsible for manufacturing early-stage clinical supply using our XpressCF+® technology at our cGMP manufacturing facility.
In 2022, Sutro Biopharma entered a worldwide, strategic collaboration and licensing agreement with Astellas focused on the discovery and development of novel immunostimulatory antibody-drug conjugates (iADCs). The collaboration leverages the unique cancer-fighting potential of iADCs as a novel modality, enabled by Sutro’s ability to engineer complex conjugated antibodies, and Astellas’ global oncology R&D expertise.
In 2021, Sutro initiated a collaboration and licensing agreement with BioNova Pharmaceuticals Limited (BioNova) to develop and commercialize STRO-001, a CD74-targeting Antibody-Drug Conjugate (ADC), for patients with hematologic cancers, in Greater China, including mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Under the terms of the agreement, BioNova has the option to obtain exclusive rights to develop and commercialize STRO-001 in Greater China. BioNova will pursue the clinical development, regulatory approval, and commercialization of STRO-001 in multiple indications, including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and leukemia in the licensed territory. Sutro retains development and commercial rights for STRO-001 globally outside of Greater China, including the United States.