Japanese biotechnology company Ajinomoto Co Inc revealed on Tuesday that it has been conducting joint research with RIBOMIC Inc, a Japan-based drug discovery startup focused on the development and production of aptamer pharmaceuticals, on the development of technology for controlling the pharmacokinetics of nucleic acid aptamers using the antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) manufacturing technology AJICAP.

As a result of this research, RIBOMIC has successfully extended the half-life of a conjugate of nucleic acid aptamers and the Fc region of immunoglobulins in the bloodstream.

It was demonstrated in this joint research that AJICAP can be applied to the creation of conjugates of various bioactive molecules and antibodies. The resulting antibody-bioactive substance conjugates are expected to contribute to overcoming challenges such as improving the efficacy, stability and safety of antibody drugs that have been apparent until now. The results of this joint research also demonstrate the potential for AJICAP to be applied not only to ADCs but also to various modalities, Ajinomoto said.