Rewiring Cancer Drugs for Sharper Aim

Synthetic Design Lab launches SYNTHBODY to improve drug targeting for aggressive, treatment-resistant cancers

30 Apr 2025

Synthetic Design Lab, a biotechnology start-up, has launched SYNTHBODY, a new platform aimed at improving the delivery precision of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) in cancer treatment. The company emerged from stealth with fresh seed funding and plans to position its technology as a solution for hard-to-treat, aggressive tumours.

ADCs are a class of cancer therapies that link targeted antibodies with cytotoxic agents, allowing drugs to seek out and destroy tumour cells while sparing healthy tissue. However, achieving this balance has remained a persistent challenge in oncology. Synthetic Design Lab claims its SYNTHBODY platform can deliver anti-cancer payloads up to ten times more efficiently than conventional approaches.

The launch comes amid rapid growth in the ADC market, which is forecast to exceed $25bn by 2030. This surge reflects both rising demand for targeted therapies and increased competition among developers. Against this backdrop, SYNTHBODY’s promise of greater accuracy and adaptability is attracting early industry interest.

“SYNTHBODY is built for adaptability,” the company’s chief executive said. “It allows us to custom-fit therapies for different cancers while simplifying production and scalability, two critical factors for real-world deployment.”

The platform is being developed with a particular focus on tumours that have shown resistance to existing treatments. Its modular design is intended to support flexible ADC construction, opening the door to collaborations with pharmaceutical companies seeking new tools for oncology drug development.

Clinical trials are planned, though timelines remain undisclosed. As global regulators place greater emphasis on predictability and reproducibility in next-generation cancer therapies, platforms that offer both precision targeting and scalable production are likely to be in high demand.

Synthetic Design Lab has not disclosed its backers, but its emergence reflects a broader trend in oncology innovation where start-ups are aiming to address limitations of first-generation targeted therapies. If successful, SYNTHBODY could help expand the range of cancers treatable with ADCs and reduce side effects for patients.

The company’s strategy suggests a shift from proprietary drug pipelines to enabling technologies, a model that may find traction as the oncology landscape becomes increasingly modular and collaborative.