Sutro Biopharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: STRO) announced on July 22, 2025, that it has entered into a research collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to develop reference materials that will improve regulatory standards and enhance analytical methods for antibody drug conjugate (ADC) development. The partnership represents a significant step forward in establishing industry-wide quality standards for one of the fastest-growing therapeutic modalities in oncology.
Leveraging Advanced Technology Platforms
The collaboration will combine Sutro's cell-free XpressCF® technology with the FDA's cutting-edge analytical capabilities to precisely engineer ADCs with predefined attributes and fully characterize these materials. This approach aims to create standardized reference materials that can serve as benchmarks for the broader ADC development community.
"ADCs represent one of the most promising and fast-growing modalities for new biopharmaceuticals. We're honored to be among a select group collaborating with the FDA to help shape regulatory standards for ADC development and quality control," said Hans-Peter Gerber, Ph.D., Sutro's Chief Scientific Officer. "This collaboration underscores the precision and flexibility of our cell-free XpressCF® platform in advancing next-generation ADCs, and we look forward to the impact of this work across the industry, with regulators, and for the patient community."
Collaborative Study Design and Implementation
Under the terms of the collaboration, Sutro will work jointly with the Office of Pharmaceutical Quality (OPQ) within the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) to lead study design and selection of target antigens, payload-linkers, and drug conjugation sites. The selected components will be representative of both currently approved ADCs and those in various stages of development, ensuring the reference materials reflect the diversity of the ADC landscape.
The results of this collaborative research will be published upon completion, making the findings accessible to the broader scientific and regulatory community. The insights gained from this partnership are expected to enhance OPQ's ongoing research efforts aimed at bolstering the FDA's capacity for analytical characterization of ADCs.
Industry Impact and Regulatory Enhancement
The collaboration addresses a critical need in the rapidly expanding ADC field, where standardized analytical methods and reference materials are essential for consistent quality assessments. By establishing these standards, the partnership aims to improve ADC quality assessments across the industry and support more efficient regulatory pathways for future ADC development programs.
Sutro Biopharma is currently advancing a robust early-stage pipeline of novel exatecan and dual-payload antibody drug conjugates, positioning the company at the forefront of ADC innovation. The company's cell-free XpressCF® technology platform enables the precise design of cancer therapeutics with the potential for broader patient benefit and improved patient experience.
