Nona teams with Alaya.bio to advance CAR-T therapies

According to the agreement, Nona's HCAb Harbour Mice platform combined with Alaya.bio's polymeric in-situ delivery platform will be used to develop chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-T) candidates aimed at potential clinical applications.

In the initial phase of the collaboration, Nona will supply Alaya.bio with antibodies targeting multiple antigens for use in Alaya’s in vivo CAR-T program.

During the subsequent phase, Alaya will select one or more binders for its polymeric nanoparticles. Moreover, the firm will use Nona’s in-situ conjugation technology to advance its CAR-T product candidate towards clinics.

“We are excited to collaborate with Alaya.bio in advancing CAR-T cell therapy. By combining Nona’s industry-leading technology and expertise with Alaya.bio’s innovative in situ polymeric delivery platform, we look forward to introducing more promising CAR-T therapies to patients worldwide,” said Jingsong Wang, chairman of Nona Biosciences.

Nona’s HCAb Harbour Mice platform generates fully human “heavy chain only” antibodies that are approximately half the size of a typical IgG. These antibodies possess IgG-like pharmacokinetic (PK) properties and Fc-domain functions, eliminating the need for additional engineering or humanization.

Unlike traditional methods, Nona’s site-specific conjugation technology preserves the antibody’s binding and function, thereby enhancing the specificity of Alaya.bio’s novel polymeric delivery systems.

“We are delighted to start this collaboration between Alaya.bio and Nona Biosciences. The quality of the targeting agents that we graft onto our polymeric nanoparticle ensures the efficacy and safety of our technology. With Nona Biosciences, we have identified promising new-generation candidates that clearly differentiate from what exists and from what has been used by others,” said Renaud Vaillant, CEO of Alaya.bio.

In December 2023, Nona signed a licensing agreement with Pfizer with the potential payment of $1.05 billion upon development and commercialisation in exchange for the global clinical development and commercialization rights of MSLN-targeted antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), HBM9033. The firm received an upfront payment of $53 million.