Sorrento to acquire Concortis Biosystems, gaining ADC technology

In a second acquisition within a month, USA-based Sorrento Therapeutics (Nasdaq: SRNE) says it has entered a definitive agreement to buy San Diego-based biotech firm Concortis Biosystems, in a deal that provides Sorrento with a comprehensive technology platform for generation of antibody drug conjugates (ADC).

Under the terms of the deal, subject to satisfaction of certain closing conditions, upon closing, Sorrento will issue an aggregate of 1,331,978 shares of its common stock to the Concortis shareholders, in a transaction valued at around $12 million. The move follows Sorrento’s purchase of privately-held biotech firm Sherrington Pharmaceuticals (The Pharma Letter October 16).

This acquisition will enable Sorrento to utilize the antibodies identified from its G-MAB library along with Concortis' conjugation technologies and novel toxins to create a new generation of ADCs. Concortis' proprietary C-lock and K-lock conjugation chemistries enable site-specific conjugation of toxins to the antibody, which will produce homogeneous ADCs with well-defined drug antibody ratios (DAR). In contrast, approved ADCs are a heterogeneous mixture with different DARs. This could potentially lead to better ADC stability and pharmacokinetics while reducing off-target effects compared to existing ADCs and therefore, improved therapeutic efficacy and treatment safety, says Sorrento.