Ajinomoto Co., Inc. has signed a licensing agreement with Astellas Pharma Inc. for the use of AJICAP—an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) development and manufacturing technology—as part of its CDMO business for biopharmaceutical development. 

AJICAP enables precise and stable conjugation of drugs to proteins such as antibodies, helping to improve the flexibility of molecular design and the efficiency of development and manufacturing of ADCs and other next-generation biopharmaceuticals. Through this partnership, Ajinomoto Co. will support Astellas in its research and manufacturing of next-generation ADCs. 

Astellas, in addition to PADCEV (ADC designed to target nectin-4) is advancing ADC R&D activities in the oncology field through collaborations with partners worldwide, with several ADC candidates in clinical development.   

Through this licensing agreement, Ajinomoto Co. will contribute to the provision of uniform quality for Astellas Pharma’s development candidates, while Astellas will develop and commercialize the selected candidates. 

Antibody-Drug Conjugates

ADCs are expected to offer more effective treatment with fewer side effects, and growing demand—particularly in oncology—combined with ongoing technological advancements, is driving rapid market expansion. 

Despite the growing ADC market, technical challenges remain in ADC development and manufacturing, particularly the need to stabilize the molecular link between antibody and drug to improve precision. AJICAP is designed to offer site-specific and uniform drug conjugation to antibodies, helping to improve product quality and streamline manufacturing processes compared to conventional technologies. By preserving the antibody’s original function while delivering the drug precisely.