Samsung Biologics pins hopes on S-DUAL platform

Samsung Biologics has released S-DUAL, a high-yield bispecific antibody platform technology that will help it expand its contract development organization (CDO) business.

Lee Jae-sun, vice president at Samsung Biologics, explains S-DUAL during an online press event Thursday. [SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS]

Samsung Biologics has released S-DUAL, a high-yield bispecific antibody platform technology that will help it expand its contract development organization (CDO) business.

S-DUAL has a unique asymmetrical structure that ensures high binding affinity among chains to produce high titer and purity for optimized manufacturability. Bispecific antibodies are largely used to develop cancer treatments.

One antibody generally recognizes a specific antigen and thus has limited efficacy. Samsung Biologics made the structure to be asymmetrical so that an antibody can bind to two different antigens at the same time.

"S-DUAL has a similar structure with Immunoglobulin G, the most common type of antibody in people's blood, so is less likely to trigger immune responses," said Lee Jae-sun, vice president at Samsung Biologics, during an online press event Thursday. "The asymmetrical structure is also helpful to distinguish impurities from protein."

The company registered a trademark for S-DUAL in December.

Samsung Biologics hopes the platform will accelerate its CDO business. CDOs, with their clients, develop cell lines, manufacturing processes and produce drug candidates for early phase clinical trials. They are used by smaller bio start-ups that have technology but don’t have the experience or capacity to develop biopharmaceuticals, which typically are long-term projects with low chances of success.

Samsung started the CDO business in 2018, and has signed over 100 CDO deals as of the end of the first half.

The bispecific antibody platform market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 32 percent to $19 billion in 2027.

“Through these new development technologies, we provide early insight and ensure the higher yield of molecules, ultimately enabling clients to reach commercialization much more efficiently," said John Rim, CEO of Samsung Biologics.

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]