9Bio Therapeutics Announces Strategic Collaboration to Advance Next-Generation Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) for Metastatic Cancers
Quebec City, QC, October 20, 2026 – 9Bio Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing next-generation, targeted cancer therapies, today announced the approval of a collaborative research initiative with Professor Peter M. Siegel of McGill University’s Goodman Cancer Institute, Pierre Thibault of Université de Montréal, and Frédéric Couture of TransBIOTech.
The initiative is among four industry-academia collaborations supported by a C$1.2 million investment announced by Médicament Québec, made possible through funding from the Government of Québec. The collaboration will establish an integrated platform for the development of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), bringing together academic and industry expertise. 9Bio will actively contribute through its ADC development capabilities and its 9B05 program, a novel bispecific ADC targeting advanced metastatic cancers.
Accelerating the Development of Next-Generation Cancer Therapeutics
The initiative aims to address critical challenges in ADC development by integrating computational modeling, antibody engineering, analytical characterization, biological testing, and translational evaluation into a coordinated platform.
By assessing critical quality attributes influencing ADC efficacy, safety, and manufacturability earlier in development, the initiative seeks to improve candidate selection, reduce development inefficiencies, and accelerate the progression of promising therapeutics toward clinical development.
For 9Bio, the collaboration will directly support the characterization and optimization of its 9B05 program by combining the company’s therapeutic development expertise with complementary academic capabilities and advanced research infrastructure.
Beyond advancing 9Bio’s pipeline, the initiative will also help strengthen Québec’s ADC development capabilities by establishing shared resources and expertise accessible to researchers and biotechnology companies, supporting innovation across the broader biotechnology ecosystem.
“Developing effective bispecific ADCs requires a deep understanding of tumor biology, antibody engineering, and the molecular properties that influence therapeutic performance,” said Philipe Gobeil, PhD, President, Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder of 9Bio Therapeutics. “This collaboration will help us better characterize and optimize our candidates, generate critical scientific data, and make informed development decisions as we work to translate our research into meaningful new treatment options for patients.”
Addressing the Urgent Needs of Patients with Metastatic Cancer
Despite advances in oncology, patients with advanced metastatic cancers continue to face significant unmet medical needs. Therapeutic resistance, disease progression, and limited durable treatment options remain major challenges, particularly for patients with advanced breast, colorectal, gastric, and liver cancers.
9Bio is addressing these challenges through its pipeline of next-generation targeted therapeutics, including 9B05, a novel bispecific ADC being developed for patients with advanced metastatic cancers and being studied as part of this initiative.
9B05 combines two complementary tumor-associated targets. The first is a clinically validated antigen associated with cancer stemness, chemotherapy resistance, and metastasis, supported by prior Phase 1 evidence of anti-tumor activity. The second is a novel tumor antigen associated with metastatic progression in the liver from primary colorectal, gastric, and breast cancers.
By combining these targets within a single bispecific ADC, 9Bio aims to develop a differentiated therapeutic approach for difficult-to-treat cancers. The program is currently undergoing lead characterization and optimization in its bispecific format.
“Patients with advanced metastatic cancers urgently need better treatment options, particularly when their disease has become resistant to existing therapies,” said Henrique de Carvalho, CEO and Co-Founder of 9Bio Therapeutics. “Our goal at 9Bio is to translate scientific innovation into meaningful therapeutic advances for these patients. Through this collaboration, we are investing in the expertise and capabilities needed to accelerate our pipeline and bring promising new treatments closer to the clinic.”
For more information about the initiative, read Médicament Québec’s official press release.
About 9Bio Therapeutics
9Bio Therapeutics is biotechnology company developing next-generation targeted cancer therapeutics to address significant unmet medical needs in oncology. Through its proprietary Ninera™ AI-guided protein engineering platform, the company designs and optimizes innovative biologics, including antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), with a focus on improving therapeutic selectivity and performance. Its pipeline includes novel ADC programs targeting advanced and difficult-to-treat cancers.
-30 –