[Edaily Reporter Kwon Oh Seok ] Shaperon Inc.(378800)is partnering with a global antibody discovery company to accelerate the development and commercialization of nanobody-based new drugs. Shaperon Inc. announced on the 20th that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Leveragen, a Boston-based genetic engineering-driven antibody discovery platform company, to establish a global strategic partnership for the commercialization of nanobodies.

Through this agreement, the two companies plan to jointly develop dual nanobody candidates for cancer diagnosis and treatment. The key to this collaboration is combining Leveragen’s “Singularity” platform for discovering fully human nanobodies with Shaperon Inc.’s capabilities in validating NanoMab-based candidates. Specific development targets and terms will be finalized through future Target-Specific Agreements (TSAs).
Leveragen possesses technology for in vivo discovery of fully human nanobodies through its transgenic mouse-based “Singularity Suite.” Its flagship platform, the “Singularity Sapiens Mouse,” can be utilized for the development of various biopharmaceuticals, including bispecific and multispecific antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), cell therapies, and mRNA-based therapeutics.
In particular, unlike conventional nanobodies—which are sourced from camelids such as alpacas and then undergo a humanization process—Leveragen’s technology enables the direct discovery of fully human nanobodies in mice. This approach reduces development time and costs while ensuring high affinity.
Under this collaboration, Leveragen will generate antibody candidates, while Shaperon Inc. will conduct functional and efficacy evaluations and candidate optimization based on its Nanomab platform. The two companies plan to develop the selected candidates in a bispecific format and pursue early technology transfer (license-out) during the preclinical stage.
Bispecific antibodies are structures in which a single antibody binds to two different antigens simultaneously; they are attracting attention as next-generation therapeutics because they can link immune cells to cancer cells or block multiple disease pathways at once. According to a global market research firm, the bispecific antibody market is projected to grow from $12.9 billion in 2024 to $22.3 billion by 2030.
However, existing bispecific antibodies face significant development challenges due to structural complexity, including mispairing, low production yields, and quality control burdens. Nanobodies, which are about one-tenth the size of conventional antibodies and feature a single heavy-chain structure, are regarded as an alternative capable of overcoming these limitations.
Shaperon Inc. official stated, “It is significant to combine Leveragen’s fully human nanobody discovery platform with our own Nanomab-based evaluation and development capabilities,” adding, “We will leverage our global network to accelerate the development of candidate compounds and actively explore opportunities for technology transfer at the preclinical stage.”