Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Enters Licensing Agreement With Astellas Pharma Inc. For Biopharmaceutical Development And Manufacturing Technology

Contributing to the Innovation and Enhanced Quality of Biopharmaceuticals Through AJICAP Antibody-Drug Conjugate Technology

Ajinomoto Co., Inc. (“Ajinomoto Co.”) has signed a licensing agreement with Astellas Pharma Inc. (“Astellas”) for the use of AJICAP—a proprietary antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) development and manufacturing technology—as part of its CDMO (contract development and manufacturing organization) business for biopharmaceutical development. AJICAP enables precise and stable conjugation of drugs to proteins such as antibodies, thus significantly improving the flexibility of molecular design and the efficiency of development and manufacturing of ADCs and other next-generation biopharmaceuticals. Through this partnership, Ajinomoto Co. will support Astellas in its research and manufacturing of innovative next-generation ADCs, contributing to the creation of safe and effective treatment options.

ADCs are expected to offer effective treatment with fewer side effects, and growing demand—particularly in oncology—combined with ongoing technological advancements, is driving rapid market expansion. The global ADC market is projected to grow from USD 10.8 billion in 2023 to USD 47.0 billion by 2029, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 28.4%^*1.

Astellas, in addition to PADCEVTM (ADC designed to target nectin-4^*2) is advancing ADC research and development activities in the oncology field through collaborations with partners worldwide, with several ADC candidates already in clinical development.

Despite the growing ADC market, technical challenges remain in ADC development and manufacturing, particularly the need to stabilize the molecular link between antibody and drug to improve precision^*3. AJICAP® offers site-specific and uniform drug conjugation to antibodies, helping to improve product quality and streamline manufacturing processes compared to conventional technologies. By preserving the antibody’s original function while delivering the drug precisely, AJICAP enables the development of safer and more effective therapeutics.

Through this licensing agreement, Ajinomoto Co. will contribute to the provision of uniform quality for Astellas Pharma’s development candidates, while Astellas will aim to deliver new treatment options to patients facing diseases by developing and commercializing the selected candidates. This initiative further expands the application of Ajinomoto Group’s core strength in AminoScience, and is positioned as part of a broader global technology collaboration in the biopharmaceutical sector. Ajinomoto Group will continue to serve its purpose in “contributing to the well-being of all human beings, our society, and our planet” by supporting the robust growth of its core healthcare business through biopharmaceutical technologies such as AJICAP, as well as providing CDMO services to its customers.

About Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services
Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services is a global CDMO (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization) that provides comprehensive services from process development to GMP manufacturing of pharmaceutical ingredients and intermediates for small, medium and large molecules, as well as gene therapy, as a one-stop service with bases in Belgium, India, the US and Japan.

We offer a wide range of services from pre-clinical to commercial manufacturing to meet your needs. These services are based on our innovative proprietary platform technologies such as AJIPHASE (Liquid phase production for oligonucleotide and peptide), CORYNEX (Microbial secretory production system for small protein/peptide), and AJICAP (site-specific conjugation and linker technology for ADC and new drug-conjugate). For more information, visit www.ajinomoto.com

^*1 Source:“Antibody Drug Conjugates: Technologies and Global Markets”, BCC Research 2024

^*2 Antigen that functions in cell adhesion process. Development of ADCs that utilizes the characteristics of antigens that show excessive reactions in cancer cells is attracting attention as a treatment method.

^*3 Reference: Antibody-Drug Conjugate Overview: a State-of-the-art Manufacturing Process and Control Strategy | Pharmaceutical Research, Springer Nature Link February 2024