Project Aims to Develop First Single-Cell Assay for ADC Therapies

Antibody-drug conjugates are expanding rapidly in oncology, intensifying the need for biomarker strategies that capture tumor heterogeneity at cellular resolution. Single-cell profiling can delineate cellular and molecular signatures linked to treatment response, aiding patient selection for targeted therapies. In France, a new initiative aims to bring greater precision to this class of therapeutics. A PSCC BOOST–backed project now seeks to develop the first single-cell assay for antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) therapies, with the goal of improving patient stratification.

One Biosciences (Paris, France) received support from the Paris-Saclay Cancer Cluster (PSCC) BOOST program to advance what it describes as the first single-cell assay approach for ADC in oncology. The effort is being undertaken with Adcytherix, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing differentiated antibody-drug conjugates for cancers with high unmet medical need. The collaboration is structured to strengthen ties across the French oncology ecosystem while focusing on clinically actionable tumor profiling. 

The project combines Adcytherix’s expertise as a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing antibody-drug conjugates with One Biosciences’ artificial intelligence–powered single-cell profiling technology to analyze tumor samples. By capturing tumor complexity at cellular resolution, the approach is intended to identify cellular and molecular signatures associated with treatment response. These analyses could inform biomarker strategies specific to antibody-drug conjugates and improve the precision of patient selection. 

One Biosciences notes that it has developed OneMap, an end-to-end single-cell molecular profiling platform designed to help clinicians select optimal treatments and support the development of precision therapies and companion diagnostics.

The long-term objective of the initiative is to support more precise patient selection and lay the foundation for future companion diagnostic development in cancer drug programs. With PSCC BOOST funding, the collaborators aim to position France at the forefront of precision oncology innovation. The program is also intended to accelerate the emergence of clinical-grade single-cell companion diagnostics within cancer drug development pathways.

“This grant is an important milestone for One Biosciences and for the broader adoption of single-cell technologies in oncology drug development,” said Hedi Ben Brahim, CEO of One Biosciences. “This project enables us to deploy our single-cell platform in the context of an innovative ADC development program with the aim of better understanding treatment response and thereby supporting the development of more precise therapeutic strategies.”

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