Abdera Therapeutics

Abdera Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company that leverages its proprietary Radio Optimized Vector Engineering (ROVEr) platform to design and develop tunable, precision radiopharmaceuticals for cancer treatment. The company's approach involves engineering novel antibody-based radiopharmaceuticals with high-affinity antigen binding domains to cancer targets and an engineered Fc domain that fine-tunes the antibodies' pharmacokinetic (PK) properties. This allows for optimized delivery of therapeutic radioisotopes, including alpha or beta particles, to selectively destroy tumor cells while sparing healthy cells.

Abdera's lead program targets delta-like ligand three (DLL3), a protein overexpressed in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and other solid tumors. The DLL3 program is advancing through preclinical development, and the company expects to submit an investigational new drug (IND) application to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2024. Additionally, Abdera is developing a robust pipeline for other undisclosed cancer targets.

The company has generated promising proof-of-concept data in various tumor models, demonstrating the potential of its platform to address important cancer targets that may be challenging to target with conventional modalities due to low levels of antigen expression. In April 2023, Abdera raised USD 142 million in combined Series A and B financing to advance its pipeline and build the company into a leading radiopharmaceutical company.

Key customers and partnerships

Abdera Therapeutics has established collaborations with other organizations to support its research and development efforts. Notably, Abdera partnered with AbCellera, a leading antibody discovery company, in January 2021. AbCellera agreed to help Abdera develop antibody-based targeted radiopharmaceutical therapies for nine clinically validated cancer targets, receiving equity, payments, and royalties on net product sales in exchange.