Project description
A new way to build targeted cancer drugs
Antibody drug conjugates are a promising class of cancer therapies. They combine antibodies that recognise tumour cells with powerful drugs that destroy them. Producing these complex medicines, however, remains difficult, and most candidates fail in early development because current chemical methods create unstable and inconsistent products. The ERC-funded PRIME-ADC project is designing tiny peptide-based ‘microreactors’ that help attach drugs to antibodies with high precision. These condensates bring the necessary components together while separating unwanted chemical residues, making the process more efficient and easier to purify. The production of more stable and predictable antibody drug conjugates will improve the development of targeted cancer therapies and support the next generation of biotech innovation.
Objective
Antibody drug conjugates are among the most promising targeted cancer therapies, combining the specificity of monoclonal antibodies with the potency of cytotoxic drugs. Yet, more than 80% of ADC candidates fail to progress beyond early clinical stages. A key reason lies in current conjugation chemistries: lysine- and cysteine-based methods yield heterogeneous products with unstable linkages, poor pharmacokinetics, and high manufacturing inefficiencies, wasting up to 50% of material. Copper-catalyzed click chemistry (CuAAC) offers the promise of precise, site-specific conjugation, but copper toxicity has prevented its industrial use, while copper-free alternatives require costly antibody engineering and compromise reaction kinetics.
PRIME-ADC introduces a breakthrough solution: peptide-based biomolecular condensates engineered as programmable microreactors for CuAAC conjugation. These condensates selectively recruit antibodies and hydrophobic drugs into their dense phase, enabling efficient, stoichiometric coupling with controlled drug-to-antibody ratios. At the same time, copper ions remain in the dilute phase and are removed via simple centrifugation, eliminating toxicity risks and simplifying downstream purification. This one-pot, aqueous, and recyclable system yields homogeneous, stable ADCs with predictable pharmacokinetics, while reducing solvent use, energy demand, and purification costs.
The proof of concept will validate PRIME-ADC with cetuximab and clinically relevant payloads, benchmark performance against standard chemistries, and demonstrate regulatory-compliant copper clearance. In parallel, business feasibility will be established through market validation, competitive benchmarking, and the design of a spin-out company. If successful, PRIME-ADC will unlock the clinical and commercial potential of next-generation ADCs, reduce environmental burden, and lay the foundation for a high-growth European biotech venture.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy pharmacokinetics
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-POC
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
69978 Tel Aviv
Israel
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.