MabSpace Biosciences

MabSpace Biosciences, established in January 2013 by founder Dr. Xueming Qian, was a clinical-stage biotechnology firm specializing in antibody-based therapeutics. The company operated with headquarters in Hong Kong and a significant research and development facility in Suzhou Industrial Park's BioBAY, focusing on the discovery and early development of antibody treatments. Dr. Qian, who served as Chairman and CEO, holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University and Albany Medical College and gained extensive experience in new drug development during his postdoctoral research and subsequent roles at Amgen. His background in antibody therapeutic discovery was central to MabSpace's direction.

The company's core technology was its proprietary Immune Tolerance Breaking Technology (IMTB) platform, designed to generate and identify antibodies with differentiated properties. This platform was instrumental in building a pipeline of over ten antibody programs targeting cancer, metabolic disorders, autoimmune diseases, ophthalmology, and nephrology. One of its key products, MSB2311, was a second-generation PD-L1 antibody with a unique pH-dependent binding mechanism intended to enhance tumor penetration. The company provided antibody discovery services to pharmaceutical companies and also conducted in-vitro and in-vivo pharmacological profiling.

MabSpace successfully secured significant funding to advance its pipeline. In October 2015, it closed a $15 million Series A round solely from Lilly Asia Ventures. This was followed by a $40 million Series B round in May 2018, co-led by Sequoia Capital and Lilly Asia Ventures, bringing its total funding to $55 million. These funds were earmarked to move its therapeutic antibody programs into clinical studies and expand discovery efforts.

A major milestone occurred in January 2019 when MabSpace Biosciences merged with HJB, a bioprocessing technology company, to form Transcenta Holding Ltd. The merger created a fully integrated biotherapeutics company with capabilities spanning research, development, manufacturing, and regulatory affairs. Following the merger, Dr. Xueming Qian became the CEO of Transcenta. The combined entity aimed to accelerate the development and commercialization of its pipeline, which included more than 10 molecules, and to make high-quality biologics more affordable.

Keywords: antibody discovery, antibody therapeutics, biotherapeutics, oncology, immunology, Immune Tolerance Breaking Technology, PD-L1 antibody, clinical-stage biotech, cancer therapy, autoimmune diseases, metabolic disorders, nephrology, ophthalmology, drug development, biopharmaceutical, Transcenta Holding, Xueming Qian, Lilly Asia Ventures, Sequoia Capital, biologic medicines