Tracing its origins to research in the lab of Dr. Andrew Tsourkas at the University of Pennsylvania, AlphaThera has since rapidly grown and engaged the commercial space, launching over 15 different products and serving clients both domestic and worldwide. A key enabling factor for this startup’s rapid growth is their effective translation of novel lab discoveries into valuable product offerings for clients, with their oYo-LinkTM site-specific antibody labeling technology at the core of their product portfolio and enabling a variety of applications including high-sensitivity ELISAs, flow cytometry, single-cell analysis, and more. oYo-Link equips researchers with a superior, site-specific antibody conjugation method that improves antibody binding and enhances assay performance over competing labeling methods. The oYo-Link procedure can label off-the-shelf antibodies in under 2 hours with 30 seconds hands-on time, giving researchers new flexibility to design their experiments.
Research Origins and NIH Grant Support:
Co-founders of AlphaThera in 2016, Dr. Andrew Tsourkas and Dr. James Hui combined years of molecular biology experience and research to develop a novel antibody labeling method. The two recognized a pressing need of researchers: while methods used to label or ‘conjugate’ antibodies have long been established, these traditional methods have limitations that impact the performance of antibodies in assays and drug delivery.
Dr. Feifan Yu soon joined as a key member of AlphaThera and researcher for the novel labeling method. The team leveraged their protein engineering expertise to develop a novel approach to conjugate antibodies by using photo-reactive linker molecules that site-specifically and uniformly bind the Fc-constant region of the antibody, outlined in in the publication titled “LASIC: Light Activated Site-Specific Conjugation of Native IgGs”, by Hui et.al. This novel conjugation method vastly improved the antibody’s binding ability and performance over traditional antibody labeling methods. Random antibody labeling methods can lead to attachment of “cargo” in undesirable locations on the antibody such as the binding region, ultimately lowering antibody binding effectiveness and harming assay performance.
AlphaThera’s novel bioconjugation technology, branded oYo-LinkTM precisely attaches the desired cargo to the antibody’s Fc-domain via the novel linker technology developed through LASIC, ensuring a homogenous mix of antibody conjugates and improved assay performance. Support from multiple NIH grants enabled AlphaThera to further improve upon the oYo-Link labeling technology and expand its applications for research assays. Some notable grants include the SBIR Phase II Grant awarded to AlphaThera for development of their site-specific conjugation method, SBIR Grant for development of site-specific Antibody-Drug Conjugates, and the recently awarded SBIR Phase II Grant extension for development of Covid-19 detection assays.
Commercialization and Expansion:
With the novel conjugation technology established, the research team of AlphaThera has since expanded and continued the effort of commercializing the technology under the oYo-LinkTM brand name. The oYo-Link products offer a next-gen bioconjugation platform to efficiently immobilize antibodies or label antibodies with various functional molecules, including dyes, biotins, DNA strands and more. The company’s lab members continue to validate the effectiveness of oYo-Link for each product and related applications. A surge in new client activity over the past 6 months, fueled by AlphaThera’s ambitious researchers and marketing emphasis, has sparked a transition into a new phase of business growth for the company that is anticipated to accelerate over the next year.
AlphaThera continues R&D in the Pennovation Lab space while also validating new applications for their oYo-Link technology, such as the recently launched oYo-Link Oligo conjugation product enabling customers to attach DNA strands to their antibodies for single-cell or subcellular analysis. The company will continue to investigate novel applications and provide conjugation reagents to clients across the world, aspiring to be the go-to antibody labeling toolkit for future researchers.
