NEOK Bio, a U.S.-based biotechnology company developing next-generation antibody drug conjugates, has launched from stealth with $75 million in Series A funding led by ABL Bio. The company will use the capital to move two bispecific ADC programs, NEOK001 and NEOK002, into U.S. clinical trials beginning in mid-2026. Built on ABL’s antibody engineering platform and its proprietary SYNtecan E linker-payload system, NEOK is designing ADCs that pair two tumor targets to improve selectivity, expand tumor coverage, and address resistance seen with traditional, single-target ADCs.
CEO Mayank Gandhi stated, “We believe our dual-targeting strategy has the potential to overcome drug resistance, target a wider range of tumors, increase internalization rates and cell killing, and improve the safety profile of ADCs by increasing selectivity and reducing off-tumor toxicity.”
The Series A financing will support Investigational New Drug submissions for both candidates by early 2026, targeting tumor-associated proteins common across thoracic, gastrointestinal, and gynecological cancers. NEOK001 aims at ROR1 and B7-H3, while NEOK002 targets EGFR and MUC1, combinations intended to offer broader efficacy and improved safety compared with monovalent ADCs.
ABL Bio CEO Dr. Sang Hoon Lee noted, “We believe our dual-targeting strategy has the potential to overcome drug resistance, target a wider range of tumors, increase internalization rates and cell killing, and improve the safety profile of ADCs by increasing selectivity and reducing off-tumor toxicity.”
