Burnaby, BC · Canada

Translating next-gen protein engineering

iProgen Biotech is a protein engineering, protein conjugate, and intracellular protein delivery company — with proven applications across antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and a growing range of next-generation conjugate modalities.

2008 Founded in Vancouver, BC
5+ Global research collaborations
Next-gen ADC Focus: non-oncology & oncology
Smart Antibodies™ Platform
Proprietary ADED delivery technology
Oligonucleotide Payloads
Next-gen AOC delivery
PROTAC Conjugates
Targeted protein degradation
Peptide Payloads
Therapeutic peptide delivery

Who we are

Pioneering intracellular delivery for the next era of therapeutics

iProgen Biotech is a pre-clinical stage Canadian biotechnology company incorporated in 2008, headquartered in Burnaby, British Columbia. We specialize in next-generation antibody drug conjugate (ADC) discovery, using proprietary delivery technologies we have developed entirely in-house.

Our core innovation — the Antibody Delivery Enhancing Domain (ADED) technology — improves the delivery and internalization of antibody drugs at targeted cancer cells, significantly boosting anti-tumor efficacy while minimizing off-target effects.

We are focused on expanding the ADC modality beyond traditional oncology into non-oncology indications including osteoporosis, sarcopenia, and other diseases with significant unmet medical needs. We seek partners who share our commitment to innovation at the frontier of biologics.

Our technology

Smart Antibodies™ — built for precision delivery

Our platform enables targeted delivery of diverse therapeutic payloads to the intracellular space, unlocking drug modalities that traditional approaches cannot access.

01
ADED Technology

The Antibody Delivery Enhancing Domain (ADED) is iProgen's proprietary mechanism that improves internalization and intracellular delivery of antibody-drug conjugates at the target cell, dramatically improving payload delivery efficiency.

Core Platform
02
Oligonucleotide-Antibody Conjugates (AOC)

We enable delivery of nucleic acid payloads — siRNA, antisense oligonucleotides, and related molecules — to specific cell populations via antibody targeting. This unlocks entirely new classes of RNA-modifying therapies.

Next-Gen Payloads
03
PROTAC Payload Integration

iProgen has pioneered the conjugation of PROTAC degraders to antibodies, enabling cell-type-specific protein degradation. Our collaboration with UBC explored this modality under NSERC funding, with significant preclinical outcomes.

Targeted Degradation

What we offer

Full-continuum ADC discovery & development services

From antibody engineering to preclinical characterization, we support your biologics program at every stage — with expert team support and deep platform knowledge.

ADC Discovery & Engineering

End-to-end engineering and discovery support for design, conjugation, and optimization of antibody-drug conjugates. We advance your lead molecules to preclinical-ready candidates faster by leveraging our proprietary Smart Antibodies™ platform.

Collaborative R&D Partnerships

We co-develop novel antibody-payload modalities with academic institutions and industry partners worldwide. We have active participation in grant-supported research and have partnerships across Canada, South Korea, Japan, and the Netherlands.

Assay Development & Analytical Characterization

Development and execution of analytical and functional assays to characterize antibodies and conjugates for lead selection and preclinical evaluation, including binding, internalization, cytotoxicity, and payload release assays.

Global collaborations

Partnering with world-class research leaders

iProgen is expanding the frontiers of the ADC modality through partnerships with leading universities, hospitals, and biotechnology companies.

ADC · Oncology
Celltrion Partnership — Anti-HER2 & CD20 ADCs

A major collaboration with South Korea-based Celltrion to co-develop up to four ADCs, including a novel candidate targeting breast cancers with low HER2 expression using iProgen's proprietary ADED delivery technology.

ADC · PROTAC · NSERC
University of British Columbia (UBC)

A two-year NSERC-funded research collaboration with UBC to develop novel antibody-PROTAC technology — combining targeted protein degradation with antibody-mediated delivery for next-generation therapeutics.

AOC · Rare Disease
Biorchestra — Antibody Oligo Conjugates

An International Research Grant (Canada–Korea) collaboration with Biorchestra to develop antibody oligo conjugates (AOCs) for diseases with high unmet medical needs, including neurological and metabolic disorders.

ADC · Non-Oncology
Asan Medical Center — Sarcopenia Research

A pioneering research collaboration with South Korea's Asan Medical Center to explore ADC technology for treating sarcopenia — a progressive loss of muscle mass and strength — representing a novel non-oncology ADC application.

ADC · Non-Oncology
Korean Basic Science Institute (KBSI) — Osteoporosis

Collaboration with KBSI to explore ADC technology for osteoporosis treatment, targeting bone-related cells with therapeutic payloads to restore bone density, demonstrating iProgen's commitment to broadening the ADC indication landscape.

Biomarkers · Oncology
RIKEN / KEIO / iPrime — Lung Cancer Biomarkers

An East-West academic-industry collaboration with RIKEN Research Institute, KEIO Medical University, and iPrime Therapeutics to discover novel lung cancer biomarkers, informing next-generation ADC target selection.

Leadership

Experienced in biotech, research & business development

KL
Ken Lee
Founder & CEO

A biotech entrepreneur with 25 years of experience. Ken's career spans target discovery at BC Cancer Research Center, preclinical research at Inimex Pharmaceuticals, clinical research management at BC Clinical Research, and business development at Helios & iProgen. He holds a B.Sc. from UBC and an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business.

LL
Leo Lin
Chief Scientific Officer

Expert protein scientist providing strategic scientific guidance to iProgen's protein modification and delivery technology development and collaboration programs for over 15 years, leveraging deep expertise in protein engineering. He received Ph.D. from McGill and completed Post doc at UBC.

MM
Michael J. MacLeod
VP of Operation

A legal and corporate affairs professional with extensive experience across the public and private sectors. He leads iProgen's legal strategy, corporate governance, contracts, and licensing — overseeing the agreements and compliance that underpin the company's research collaborations and strategic partnerships.

RV
Ranjani Vaidyanathan
VP of Operation

Distinguished manager providing operational leadership to iProgen's technology development and international collaboration programs, leveraging 12 years of in-house experience in managing multidisciplinary team.

LS
Lisa Sharp
Controller

Financial leadership supporting iProgen's operations, strategic collaborations, audit, and investor relations across the company's growing portfolio of international partnerships.

Contact us

Let's explore a collaboration

We are actively seeking industry partners, academic collaborators, and investors interested in the next generation of antibody drug conjugate therapies. Reach out to start a conversation.

Address
8531 Commerce Court, Burnaby, BC V5A 4N4, Canada

Drop us a line