Aditum Bio and Leads Biolabs announced the formation of Oblenio Bio, which is being formed in conjunction with an exclusive option and license agreement to develop LBL-051, a first-in-class CD19xBCMAxCD3 tri-specific T-cell engager antibody for autoimmune diseases. Aditum Bio will fund Oblenio Bio and the parties will collaborate to rapidly bring LBL-051 into clinical studies.

Recent clinical data from CD19 and BCMA targeted therapies have demonstrated compelling efficacy in difficult-to-treat autoimmune diseases. Despite these promising results, there is a continued unmet need for increased efficacy and durability. By targeting both CD19 and BCMA, LBL-051 has the potential to deliver stronger and more durable responses by depleting a broader range of pathological B-cell populations across a wide spectrum of antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases.

LBL-051 is a novel tri-specific T-cell engager developed using the LeadsBody™ Platform. Each target binding domain CD19, BCMA, and CD3- has been engineered with the intent of enhancing safety while optimizing efficacy by finely tuning the relative potency of each domain.

Under the terms of the agreement, Leads Biolabs will grant Oblenio an exclusive option to develop, manufacture, and commercialize LBL-051 worldwide. Leads Biolabs is eligible to receive up to $35 million in upfront and near-term payments, $579 million in development, regulatory, and commercialization milestone payments, as well as royalties on sales. Additionally, Leads Biolabs is entitled to receive an equity stake in Oblenio Bio.

"By targeting both CD19 and BCMA in autoimmune disorders, LBL-051 has the potential to achieve a complete immune reset and superior efficacy and durability, compared to single targeting of either CD19 or BCMA alone", said Joe Jimenez, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Aditum Bio. Dr. Xiaoqiang Kang, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Leads Biolabs added, "LBL-051 offers a differentiated approach to treating certain autoimmune conditions and has the potential to be a Pipeline in a Product. We are pleased to establish this partnership with the high caliber team at Aditum to bring this innovative therapy to patients around the world".

Oblenio Bio is the thirteenth company launched by Aditum Bio, whose mission is to give large patient populations access to important medicines. To speed these drugs to market, Aditum Bio fosters an incubator model, focusing on the translational phase of drug development. The "spin out" model enables a nimble, start-up platform with a dedicated team of managers supported by Aditum's in-house team of development professionals.