Genmab And Seattle Genetics Expand ADC Collaboration
Biotech firms Genmab and Seattle Genetics announced a new antibody-drug conjugate collaboration to create an ADC that will target AXL, a prominent signaling molecule on multiple solid tumors that plays a key role in tumor development and growth. Over the course of the partnership, Genmab and Seattle Genetics will co-develop HuMax-AXL-ADC, an ADC that combines an AXL-targeting, high affinity human monoclonal antibody with Seattle Genetics’ cytotoxic drug.
Under the terms of the new collaboration, Genmab will make an upfront payment of $11 million to Seattle Genetics for the sole rights to use the latter’s auristatin-based ADC technology with Genmab’s HuMax-AXL antibody. Seattle Genetics will also potentially receive over $200 million in milestone payments and royalties on global sales of any products resulting from the collaboration. In addition, the company gains the right to increase its royalties in exchange for a reduction of milestone payments from its partner Genmab prior to initiation of Phase III studies. Genmab will take the lead in developing and marketing the drugs during the full course of the partnership.
Natasha Hernday, VP of Corporate Development at Seattle Genetics, said, “This collaboration with Genmab further extends the reach of our industry-leading ADC technology for use with novel oncology targets, while providing us with a compelling financial value proposition as the program advances.” This most recent collaboration with Genmab is one of several ADC projects that Seattle Genetics is undertaking in ADC research. In August, the company announced the launch of another project in the ADC realm: the Phase I clinical trial of ADC SGN-CD70A for non-Hodgkin lymphoma and renal cell carcinoma.
Dr. Jan van de Winkel, CEO of Genmab, said, “Pre-clinical work identified AXL as an excellent target for an ADC therapeutic approach… Seattle Genetics, who are experts in their field, provides another means for Genmab to develop differentiated cancer therapeutics while retaining maximal ownership of our therapeutic products.”
The companies first entered into an ADC partnership in September 2010 for the Phase I trial and co-development of HuMax-TF-ADC in solid tumors.