- Rakuten Medical has signed a biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing agreement with LOTTE Biologics to support the production of monoclonal antibody intermediates and conjugates.
- The agreement is intended to support global clinical development and future commercialisation of Rakuten Medical’s Alluminox® platform-based photoimmunotherapy.

Rakuten Medical has entered into a biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing agreement with LOTTE Biologics to strengthen production capabilities for its Alluminox® platform-based photoimmunotherapy. The agreement was signed during the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco.
Under the terms of the agreement, LOTTE Biologics will provide manufacturing services for monoclonal antibody intermediates and their conjugates. These services are intended to support Rakuten Medical’s global clinical development programmes and future commercial supply within a CDMO and contract manufacturing framework.
Rakuten Medical’s photoimmunotherapy technology combines cell-targeting components, such as antibodies, with light-activatable agents to enable selective destruction of solid tumour cells following light exposure. In Japan, the therapy is approved for recurrent head and neck cancer and has seen broader site adoption and year-on-year growth in treatment numbers.
The company is also conducting a global Phase 3 clinical trial in the United States, Taiwan and Japan, with plans to initiate treatment in Ukraine and Poland. In addition, Rakuten Medical plans to begin a Phase 1 clinical trial in Japan this year to evaluate the therapy in other solid tumours beyond head and neck cancer, contributing to increased demand for its bioconjugates.
LOTTE Biologics will support Rakuten Medical’s programmes through its ADC manufacturing facility at the Syracuse Bio Campus in New York. The site is equipped with dedicated antibody-drug conjugate production capabilities and advanced bioconjugation technologies, designed to meet global regulatory requirements and support stable supply for clinical and commercial use.











