Catalent, Lisata partner to advance next-generation ADC development

Lisata Therapeutics, a New Jersey–based clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing therapies for advanced solid tumors, and Catalent, a global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), announced a worldwide product license agreement for certepetide, Lisata’s proprietary internalizing RGD cyclic peptide (iRGD).

Under the agreement, Catalent gains non-exclusive global rights to develop and commercialize bioconjugate products containing certepetide and its analogs using its SMARTag antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) platform, according to the companies. The deal also allows Catalent to collaborate with third parties in advancing certepetide-based ADC programs. 

Lisata said it is eligible to receive more than $10 million in tiered milestone payments tied to study initiations, along with revenue sharing on future sales and partnerships.

The companies said Catalent will evaluate certepetide as a SMARTag payload in clinical studies for multiple ADCs targeting difficult-to-treat diseases, with the goal of developing a new class of targeted bioconjugate therapies. Preclinical data supporting the use of iRGD peptides within the platform will be presented at the World ADC conference in San Diego this November, announced the companies.

“This collaboration is based on positive preclinical results generated by Catalent’s use of an iRGD peptide as part of its SMARTag ADC platform,” Kristen Buck, executive vice president of research and development and chief medical officer at Lisata, said in a statement. “It underscores our mutual belief in certepetide’s broad potential and is another significant step forward in Lisata’s mission to bring transformative therapies to patients.”

Penelope Drake, head of R&D, bioconjugates at Catalent, added: “Early data suggest that incorporating iRGD peptides into ADCs improves efficacy and pharmacokinetics, leading us to be optimistic about the potential of iRGD as a novel payload class.”