BigHat and Synaffix Collaborate on ADCs

Synaffix, a Lonza company, has partnered with BigHat Biosciences to support the development of BigHat’s antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) program using Synaffix’s advanced ADC technology. Under this collaboration, BigHat will access Synaffix’s platform, which enables efficient transformation of antibodies into ADCs with high therapeutic potential. With Lonza’s acquisition of Synaffix, BigHat can also benefit from Lonza’s end-to-end ADC services, simplifying processes from early development through to clinical trials.

BigHat’s innovative AI-based antibody design platform, Milliner™, integrates advanced machine learning and high-speed wet lab technology to rapidly discover and engineer potent antibodies. This system allows for enhanced antibody design to better target challenging diseases and optimize drug-like properties. By combining Synaffix's technologies—GlycoConnect™, HydraSpace®, and toxSYN®—BigHat’s ADCs aim to deliver payloads more effectively to tumors, enhancing safety and efficacy.

Leaders at Synaffix, Lonza, and BigHat see this collaboration as an opportunity to leverage both companies' strengths. Synaffix’s team expressed excitement about working with BigHat, given its expertise in antibody engineering, to advance next-generation ADCs. Lonza’s new manufacturing expansions, including high-potency vial fill capabilities, further reinforce their ability to deliver comprehensive ADC development services.

This partnership marks BigHat’s first clinical-stage ADC program, designed to address pressing needs in cancer treatment by combining the power of machine learning with state-of-the-art bioconjugation. BigHat’s CEO highlighted the collaboration's potential for advancing innovative treatments for complex cancers.