Mablink Bioscience to move forward its ADC pipeline targeted at cancers with high unmet medical needs
Lyon, France, April 27, 2021
Mablink Bioscience, a company developing the next generation of antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) through its proprietary hydrophilic drug-linker PSARlinkTM platform, announces today the completion of a €4 Million Seed financing round led by Elaia Partners and along with Pertinence Invest 2 (Sofimac Innovation advised by Mérieux Equity Partners), Sham Innovation Santé (advised by Turenne Capital), Fondation Fournier-Majoie, Simba Santé (Angelor) and Crédit Agricole Création.
Transforming the field of ADC to treat cancers with high unmet medical needs
ADC is a new class of drugs that work like a guided missile: a monoclonal antibody is used to transport physically linked highly potent cytotoxic molecules directly and specifically into the tumor cells to destroy them, while sparing healthy tissues. Leveraging its proprietary PSARlinkTM technology that links cytotoxic molecules to antibodies, Mablink Bioscience aims at transforming the field of ADC by both multiplying their clinical therapeutic index and by broadening the spectrum of usable compounds, addressable targets and indications they can apply to. Mablink Bioscience will use the proceeds of this financing round to move forward its ADC pipeline directed against several cancers with high unmet medical needs.
A patented platform with a game-changing potential in ADC
In just 2 years, Mablink Bioscience has been able to complete the technological development and preclinical validation of PSARlinkTM, its patented ADC platform that allows for the discovery of homogeneous and easy-to-manufacture next generation ADC bearing best-in-class pharmacological properties1. Warren Viricel, CSO and co-founder of Mablink Bioscience commented that “PSARlinkTM has the potential to be a game-changer in the treatment of cancers and this investment is the first step to quickly bring our ADC candidates to the clinic.”
Jean-Guillaume Lafay, CEO and co-founder of Mablink Bioscience added that “We are looking forward to strengthening and accelerating our ADC pipeline, as well as to working with our investors to further develop Mablink Bioscience, bring our disruptive therapeutic technologies to the clinic and help cancer patients with high unmet medical needs.”
Florian Denis, Investment Director at Elaia explained: “Elaia is very proud to lead this round of financing and to bring together this investment syndication. Mablink Bioscience’s platform presents a best-in-class approach and has the potential to deliver the next wave of innovation to the promising field of antibody-drug conjugates. Jean-Guillaume Lafay and his team have produced impressive preclinical data that will then expand towards additional value-driving milestones.”
Jeremie Waicenberg, Senior Business Analyst at Mérieux Equity Partners commented: “We are thrilled with the investment of Pertinence Invest 2 in Mablink Bioscience to support the company’s platform for developing the next generation of antibody-drug conjugates towards more efficient cancer therapies.”
Bervin Bouani, Investment Director at Turenne Capital said: “We are delighted and very excited to be working alongside Mablink Bioscience management and other investors to reinforce and expand the company’s capabilities and assets.”
Jerôme Majoie, CEO of the Belgian Fondation Fournier-Majoie, said: “We are proud to bring support to Mablink Bioscience qualified by its Scientific Advisory Board as one of the most promising laureates which will bring to patient bedside improved immuno-oncology therapies.”
About PSARlink™
PSARlink™ linkers are chemical links that can be placed between an antibody and a chosen cytotoxic molecule to be delivered into tumor cells. PSARlink™’s unique structure “masks” the cytotoxic molecules, especially hydrophobic compounds, and provides a “stealthy” property to such antibody-drug conjugates, enabling them to stay longer in the body, giving them more time to destroy tumor cells. At the same time, making ADC stealthy avoids most of the damage typically caused by such molecules to healthy cells: PSARlink™-based ADCs are better tolerated. These improvements translate into a 10-fold increase of the therapeutic index observed in animal models, a potentially game-changing factor for future clinical deployment.
PSARlink™ was licensed to Emergence Therapeutics AG in 2021 to be used in their ETX-22 ADC targeting Nectin-4 positive solid tumors.
About Mablink Bioscience
Mablink is a biopharmaceutical company which has developed PSARlink™, an innovative and hydrophilic drug-linker technology that brings dramatically improved pharmacological properties to antibody-drug conjugates.
Mablink is committed to leveraging its disruptive technology to help cancer patients, and is developing its own pipeline of ADCs targeting several cancers with high unmet medical needs.