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.
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. The year’s biggest, according to BioWorld statistics, is the partnership extension between Evotec SE and Bristol Myers Squibb Co. to identify neurodegenerative disease therapies for eight years. The other ADC deals involve Synaffix BV, which signed a $2 billion pact in January with Amgen Inc., and a $2.2 billion expanded deal in February with Macrogenics Inc.
CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd. has received FDA clearance of its IND for a phase I trial of its antibody-drug conjugate CPO-301 for the treatment of advanced lung cancer with alterations in the EGFR gene or EGFR over-expression.
The development of EGFR-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) over the past 20 years has modestly improved progression-free survival for patients with metastatic NSCLC. But many patients with EGFR mutations fail to respond to TKI treatments, and immune checkpoint inhibitors elicit a response in less than 10% of NSCLC patients.
Recurium IP Holdings LLC has patented antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) comprising antibodies targeting inactive tyrosine-protein kinase transmembrane receptor ROR1 covalently bound to exatecan through a linker reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer.
Legochem Biosciences Inc. has entered into a license agreement with Elthera AG to develop and commercialize a novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) therapy using a monoclonal antibody developed by Elthera.
Ajinomoto Co. Inc.'s Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services has announced a license agreement with Exelixis Inc. to incorporate AJICAP, Ajinomoto's proprietary site-specific bioconjugation and linker technologies, in the development of certain of Exelixis' antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) programs for cancer.
Minghui Pharmaceutical (Hangzhou) Ltd. and Minghui Pharmaceutical (Shanghai) Ltd. have synthesized antibody-drug conjugates consisting of an antibody covalently linked to exatecan derivatives through a linker.