NJ Bio Inc, a US-based provider of integrated drug discovery and development services, and Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services (Aji Bio-Pharma), a Japan-based provider of biopharmaceutical manufacturing services and platform technologies, said on Tuesday that they have entered into a research collaboration to expand access to AJICAP, Aji Bio-Pharma's site-specific conjugation platform for NJ Bio's discovery-stage and early development clients.

This broadens NJ Bio's advanced antibody conjugation and linker capabilities, supporting the development of next-generation antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and other targeted therapeutics.

Through the collaboration, NJ Bio will integrate the AJICAP platform into its discovery and development workflows, offering clients a robust and highly reproducible approach for site-specific conjugation of cytotoxic and non-cytotoxic payloads to antibodies. AJICAP enables precise chemical modification at defined lysine residues without the need for antibody engineering, preserving antibody structure and functionality while improving pharmacokinetics, therapeutic index, and overall developability. The platform supports a range of stable, hydrophilic linker systems and is readily incorporated into drug discovery and development programmes.

Based on prior technical experience working with AJICAP technology, NJ Bio anticipates that this collaboration will help reduce development risk, shorten timelines, and improve overall project outcomes.