Lonza Launches bYlok Technology for the Discovery and Design of Bispecific Antibodies

• Lonza launches bYlok™ Technology - a new design engineering approach for bispecific antibodies that can streamline future clinical manufacturing
• The platform contributes to solving the light-heavy chain mispairing challenge with an accuracy of >95%, high yields and the ability to maintain a mAb-like format
• Access to the bYlok™ technology is now available under a simple research license to pharma and biotech companies globally

Basel, Switzerland, 18 January 2022 – Lonza announced today the launch of its new bYlok™ technology platform for the discovery and design of bispecific antibodies. Bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) show promising effectiveness with precision targeting and higher potency; in addition, multiple binding sites can help reduce the development of subsequent clinical resistance. The biologics pipeline has been evolving towards more complex protein formats for the past few years. A total of 273 bispecific molecules successfully entered the clinic since 2001.

Manufacturing bispecific antibodies poses unique challenges related to their expression and downstream processing. As bsAbs are comprised of two distinct heavy and light chains, multiple combinations are possible during assembly in production. Mispairing between light and heavy chains during expression could lead to misassembled unwanted antibody species that are difficult to remove due to their similarity to the correct format.

Lonza’s bYlok™ technology was developed in response to the current market-wide challenge to design, develop and manufacture bsAbs molecules at scale without implications of cost and time to market. The bYlok™ technology relies on adjustments of the position of one of the disulfide bridges, which greatly favors the formation of a correct heterodimer species.

Lonza’s patented, proprietary technology platform delivers >95% correct heavy and light chain (HC-LC) precision pairing with a mAb-like approach, and generates bispecific antibodies that mimic parental antibodies in the key characteristics such as yield, stability, immunogenicity and functionality. The technology can be easily accessed by pharma and biotech companies through a simple research license to see if it fits their current processes.

Katarina Radošević, Head of Biologics R&D, Lonza commented: “Lonza is transforming biologics discovery, development and manufacturing by investing in leading technologies to support our customers to develop next-generation bispecific antibodies. Our bYlok™ platform addresses technical limitations through an elegant and broadly applicable process for molecules where two different light chains are needed.”

Peter Droc, Head of Licensing and Drug Product Services, Lonza added: “With the launch of bYlok™ technology, we affirm our commitment to making cutting-edge technologies readily accessible to pharma and biotech companies for an easy evaluation and implementation within their labs. We are excited by the extended therapeutic possibilities the technology allows our customers to reach.”