The Challenge in Current ADC Therapy
The Delivery Dilemma
Existing antibody-drug conjugates face a critical limitation: delivering sufficient therapeutic doses to cancer cells while minimizing harmful exposure to healthy tissues. This narrow therapeutic window has constrained the potential of ADC technology and limited treatment options for patients with aggressive cancers.
Our Solution
ADNIC Therapeutics, a research effort led by Dr. Svetomir Markovic, MD, PhD, has developed a first-in-class modular platform that fundamentally reimagines ADC design. Our Antibody-Drug NanoImmuno Conjugate (ADNIC) technology achieves unprecedented drug loading while maintaining favorable safety profiles.
The ADNIC Platform Technology
The ADNIC (Antibody-Drug Nanoparticle Immunoconjugate) platform represents a sophisticated evolution in targeted drug delivery for oncology therapeutics. This tripartite nanostructure integrates three critical functional components into a single biocompatible delivery system designed to maximize therapeutic efficacy while minimizing systemic toxicity.
Cytotoxic Core
The particle's interior houses small-molecule cytotoxic agents—potent chemotherapeutic compounds that disrupt cellular division and induce apoptosis in malignant cells. This encapsulation strategy protects healthy tissue during circulation.
Albumin Shell
A biocompatible albumin matrix surrounds the cytotoxic core, providing structural integrity and enhanced biodistribution properties. Albumin naturally accumulates in tumor microenvironments via the enhanced permeability and retention effect.
Antibody Corona
Tumor-targeting antibodies attach to the albumin surface and enable active targeting of cancer-specific targets. This immunological guidance system directs the nanoparticle preferentially to cancer cells, improving the ratio of cytotoxic 100-fold over traditional ADC's.
Core Encapsulation
Cytotoxic agent sequestered within albumin matrix through proprietary ratios and encapsulation chemistry
Surface Functionalization
Antibody binds to the albumin via stable non-covalent linkages that preserve antigen-binding activity, eliminating complex conjugation chemistry
Tumor Recognition
Receptor-mediated endocytosis is triggered by the antibody-antigen binding at tumor cell surface which releases the cytotoxic agent. Additionally, albumin binding to gp60 and SPARC facilitates trans-endothelial transport and enhanced uptake of drug payload by tumor cells
Intracellular Release
pH-dependent or enzymatic degradation releases cytotoxic payload within cancer cells
The ADNIC architecture leverages decades of nanoparticle research to overcome the limitations of conventional antibody-drug conjugates. By utilizing albumin as both a structural scaffold and a natural tumor-homing mechanism, combined with the targeting precision of therapeutic antibodies, this platform achieves dual-mode targeting. The result is a next-generation delivery system with enhanced tumor accumulation, improved safety profiles, and the potential to deliver higher cytotoxic payloads than traditional ADC formats.
Safety Profile
Early Safety & Tolerability
The ADNIC platform leverages compounds with well-established safety profiles, including components similar to Abraxane. As an example, clinical data demonstrate a similar safety profile to Abraxane with a signficant reduction in grade 3–4 sensory adverse events.
This favorable safety profile enables higher effective doses to be delivered to tumors while maintaining patient quality of life - a critical advantage in treating aggressive metastatic cancers.
Next Generation Concepts
The ADNIC platform's modular design enables innovative therapeutic approaches that address limitations of current treatment modalities. These next-generation concepts are being developed by Mayo Clinic and demonstrate the platform's potential as an alternative next generation application.
CAR-T Alternative: Anti-CD3 Conjugate
- ADNIC offers an alternative approach to CAR-T therapy, combining nab-paclitaxel with anti-CD3.
- No CART available for T-Cell Lymphoma.
- Advantages include reduced manufacturing complexity and broader patient accessibility compared to traditional CAR-T.
Bi-specific Antibody Alternative
- ADNIC could combine a chemotherapy agent with bi-specific antibodies for enhanced targeting.
- This approach has potential to improve targeting and reduced systemic toxicity compared to traditional combination therapies.
Dual Chemotherapeutic Conjugates
- Mayo Clinic has successfully formed conjugates with two chemotherapeutics: albumin-coated paclitaxel and oxaliplatin nanoparticles with a targeting antibody.
- Demonstrates the platform's ability to deliver multiple therapeutic agents simultaneously.
These innovative applications underscore the ADNIC platform's potential to transform cancer treatment by offering more effective, accessible, and versatile alternatives to existing therapeutic modalities.
Our Team
ADNIC Therapeutics is driven by a visionary team of scientific and clinical development experts committed to revolutionizing cancer treatment through targeted nanomedicine.
Svetomir N. Markovic, M.D., Ph.D.
Inventor, Program Leader
Dr. Svetomir N. Markovic, M.D., Ph.D., is a distinguished physician-scientist and the inventor behind ADNIC Therapeutics. At Mayo Clinic, Dr. Markovic leads the Melanoma Research Laboratory, where his team focuses on translational immunotherapeutics - developing novel cancer vaccines, immune-boosting agents, and nanomedicines to more precisely target metastatic melanoma and other malignancies.
He is the Charles F. Mathy Professor of Melanoma Research and has received the Mayo Clinic Distinguished Inventor Award, recognizing his innovative contributions to cancer therapy. Dr. Markovic is deeply committed to translating scientific insight into safer, more effective treatments - driving ADNIC’s mission to leverage precision immunotherapy for unmet oncologic needs.
Wendy K. Nevala, M.S.
Key Scientific Leader
Wendy Nevala is a pivotal scientific leader for ADNIC, collaborating closely with Dr. Markovic in the Mayo Clinic Melanoma Research Laboratory. Her expertise in immunology and translational research is critical to developing targeted therapies like antibody-directed chemotherapy, propelling ADNIC’s drug development pipeline from initial concept to clinical readiness. She has authored or co-authored over 100 scientific publications.
Jill Schimke, M.S.
Project Manager
Jill Schimke brings extensive project leadership and operational expertise from her background in healthcare and research, including previous roles at Mayo Clinic. With a Master of Science and a strong scientific foundation in immunology and nanomedicine research, Jill is instrumental in coordinating clinical programs across Mayo Clinic, and orchestrating ADNIC’s R&D programs and cross-functional initiatives.
Liyi Geng, Ph.D.
Senior Research Technologist
Dr. Liyi Geng is an accomplished translational scientist with more than two decades of experience in gene therapy, viral vector engineering, and preclinical model development. His work has contributed to multiple breakthrough programs involving AAV-based delivery of therapeutic enzymes and CNS–targeted biologics.
With a portfolio of 25+ peer-reviewed publications and a strong track record supporting first-in-human therapeutic concepts, Dr. Geng brings deep technical expertise to ADNIC Therapeutics' clinical development programs.
Revolutionizing Cancer Treatment