(English)
Chime Biologics and Y’s AC Announce Strategic Collaboration to Advance Anti-CD26 mAb in Refractory Cancers
• Chime Biologics will provide clinical supply services for anti-CD26’s clinical trial in refractory cancers in combination with anti-PD-1/PD-L1
• The project demonstrates the potential of connecting Japan’s biotech innovation with China’s efficient biologics R&D and manufacturing ecosystem
• Y’s AC selected Chime Biologics after transferring the project from two of the global Top 3 biologics CDMOs, underscoring Chime Biologics’ emerging global value proposition
TOKYO, Japan and WUHAN, China | November, 2026 — Chime Biologics, a global biologics CDMO dedicated to enabling partners’ success, and Y’s AC Co., Ltd. (“Y’s AC”), a Japanese biopharmaceutical company developing novel antibody therapeutics, today announced a strategic collaboration to support the clinical development of a humanized anti-CD26 monoclonal antibody in a clinical trial for refractory cancers.
Under the collaboration, Chime Biologics will provide clinical samples supply services for the trial, in which the anti-CD26 mAb will be evaluated in combination with the anti-PD-1/PD-L1 monoclonal antibody.
Based on pioneering research into CD26, a molecule subsequently identified as dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4), Y’s AC’s research demonstrated the antitumor potential of CD26-targeting antibodies. Y’s AC developed a humanized anti-CD26 antibody with high binding affinity and demonstrated the potential to inhibit tumor proliferation.
For Chime Biologics, the collaboration exemplifies a broader model of cross-border value creation, in which Japan’s strong scientific and biotech innovation is combined with China’s increasingly efficient and comprehensive biologics R&D and manufacturing ecosystem. Chime believes this model can enable Japanese biotech and biopharma companies to advance innovative pipelines with greater speed and capital efficiency, helping strengthen Japan’s biopharmaceutical innovation ecosystem and bring more promising therapies to patients globally.
Chikao Morimoto MD, PHD Professor, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo, the founder of Y’s AC commented: “We are pleased to collaborate with Chime Biologics on the clinical development of our proprietary anti-CD26 mAb. Chime Biologics is emerging as a global biologics CDMO with a unique value proposition, leveraging China’s broader biopharma R&D ecosystem to provide efficient and competitive solutions. We made the strategic decision to transfer this project from two of the global Top 3 biologics CDMOs to Chime Biologics because we believe its capabilities and access to China’s ecosystem can make the program more strategically competitive in the global market, particularly as we move toward the commercial stage. We look forward to working closely with Chime Biologics to advance the anti-CD26 mAb toward patients.”
“We are pleased to partner with Y’s AC on the clinical development of the anti-CD26 mAb, an innovative antibody program addressing a significant unmet medical need,” said Jimmy Wei, Board Director and Chief Executive Officer of Chime Biologics. “This collaboration demonstrates the value of connecting Japan’s scientific innovation with China’s efficient biologics R&D ecosystem. By combining complementary strengths across the two markets, we can help innovative companies accelerate development, improve capital efficiency and unlock greater global value from their pipelines.”
About anti-CD26 mAb
A humanized monoclonal antibody targeting CD26, also known as dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) is developed from pioneering research into CD26 biology and antibody therapeutics, which has demonstrated high binding affinity and potent antitumor activity. It is being developed for oncology applications including refractory cancers, where it is currently being evaluated in combination with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 mAb in a clinical stage.
About Y’s AC
Y’s AC is a biotech venture founded while Morimoto was at the University of Tokyo, based on his research discoveries. Its core technologies center on the CD26 molecule and IL-26, a human-specific cytokine selectively produced by CD26-positive T cells.
CD26 contains the DPP IV enzyme, whose inhibitors are currently marketed by major pharmaceutical companies as treatments for diabetes. The development of these inhibitors was based on the results of CD26 cDNA cloning conducted by Morimoto during his time at Harvard University.
Morimoto developed a humanized anti-CD26 antibody targeting pleural mesothelioma, a difficult-to-treat cancer associated with asbestos exposure. Phase I/II clinical trials were completed in France and Japan. However, as is the case with other treatments for refractory cancers such as pleural mesothelioma, monotherapy has shown insufficient efficacy. A clinical trial of combination therapy using the anti-CD26 antibody and the PD-1 inhibitor Immune Check point Inhibitors (ICIs) is planned and expected to commence shortly. Morimoto and his colleagues have also filed and obtained approval for a patent covering the use of this anti-CD26 antibody and PD-1 antibody combination therapy. This approach may also be applicable to lung cancer and other malignancies.
About Chime Biologics
Chime Biologics is a leading global CDMO, focused on ensuring our customers' success in delivering innovative biologics as well as biosimilars to patients across the world. Chime Biologics can support customers end to end, from pre-clinical support and cell line development through to clinical and commercial manufacturing of drug substance and drug product. Employing our state-of-the-art capabilities in our Europe Innovation Hub (Basel, CH), China Innovation Hub (Shanghai, CN), Development & Manufacturing Campus (Wuhan, CN) and proven success in supporting our clients with their clinical and commercial authorizations across the globe, Chime Biologics is a true end-to-end solution provider for the biologics industry and we share a common goal to make cutting-edge biologics affordable and accessible to patients worldwide, fulfilling our commitment to improving human health globally.
For more information, please visit www.chimebiologics.com.
