In the latest deal from the burgeoning antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) space, Eisai Co. Ltd. and privately held Bliss Biopharmaceutical (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd. reached a development and commercialization agreement that could be worth up to $2 billion. The massive collaboration is the eighth largest so far this year and one of three that involve ADCs in the year’s top 10 deals.
South Korea’s Legochem Bioscience Inc. inked a licensing deal with Amgen Inc. on Dec. 23 for five undisclosed antibody drug conjugate (ADC) targets worth up to ₩1.6 trillion (US$1.24 billion). Under the terms of the deal, Legochem will out-license global rights to Amgen for five undisclosed ADC targets and will receive an undisclosed up-front payment as well as development milestones and sales royalties. The companies did not disclose additional details.
Two deals for antibody-drug conjugates inked since May between Merck & Co. Inc. and Sichuan Kelun-Biotech Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. have blossomed eight months later into the year’s biggest agreement, one that could bring Kelun-Biotech up to $9.3 billion in development, regulatory and sales milestones. The exclusive license and collaboration deal has Merck paying an up-front $175 million to Kelun-Biotech plus promising to make an equity investment in the Sichuan, China-based company.
Celltrion Healthcare Inc. has signed a deal with Pinotbio Inc. to develop antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for up to 15 separate cancer targets incorporating the linker-payload platform technology Pinot-ADC. Celltrion could pay Pinotbio as much as ₩1.77 trillion (US$1.24 billion) to exercise options for all 15 targets in the collaboration. But, for starters, it will pay Pinotbio ₩1 billion up front.
Elevation Oncology Inc. has picked up the global rights to SYSA-1801, an anti-Claudin 18.2 antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) candidate, from CSPC Megalith Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd. in a deal worth up to $1.195 billion. Under the terms, Elevation gets rights to develop and commercialize SYSA-1801 outside of mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
Sichuan Kelun-Biotech Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. out-licensed an investigational antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) for the treatment of solid tumors to Merck & Co. Inc. in a deal worth up to $936 million. Sichuan, China-based Kelun-Biotech will receive $35 million up front in the deal and is eligible to receive up to $901 million in future development, approval and commercial milestone payments, as well as tiered royalties on net sales.
Sunshine Guojian Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has granted Xiling Lab Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. global rights to develop and commercialize the trastuzumab biosimilar Cipterbin (inetetamab) for antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) in a ¥1.03 billion (US$153 million) deal.
Astellas Pharma Inc. and Sutro Biopharma Inc. signed an exclusive global licensing deal under which Sutro will develop immunostimulatory antibody-drug conjugates (iADCs) for three biological targets for Astellas.
Profoundbio Inc. closed a $70 million series A financing round that will see it advance its two lead antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) programs to the clinic. The Suzhou, China, and Woodinville, Wash.-based company has raised a total of more than $138 million in the past two years.
Turning Point Therapeutics Inc. has picked up near-global rights to develop and commercialize an antibody drug conjugate (ADC) targeting Claudin18.2 from Lanova Medicines Ltd. for $25 million up front. The deal excludes greater China and South Korea.