South Korea, China lead degrader-antibody conjugate development: report

Companies from these countries collectively account for 19 out of 28 assets worldwide.

South Korea and China are leading in developing degrader-antibody conjugates (DACs), an emerging class of targeted therapy in precision medicine, said GlobalData.

DAC development is still in its early stages worldwide, with 28 assets in the pipeline. Of these, South Korean and Chinese companies collectively account for 19 assets.

“With these innovative assets, South Korean and Chinese companies can attract and expand their strategic collaborations with foreign players,” said Nadim Anwer, Pharma Analyst at GlobalData.

DACs are designed to overcome the limitations of traditional antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) by combining the specificity of antibodies with the potency of protein degraders.

“It is too early to comment on the clinical success of this class; however, it is gaining attention as a new research area,” Anwer added.