Germany's Boehringer Ingelheim and Korean biotech startup AimedBio have announced a global collaboration and licensing agreement to develop a novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) therapy for a broad range of cancers. The agreement further strengthens Boehringer's growing ADC portfolio, driven by its subsidiary, NBE Therapeutics, to achieve the company’s aim of transforming the lives of people with cancer.
ADCs harness the specificity of monoclonal antibodies and the potency of cytotoxic agents – in this case a derivative of exatecan – to selectively target and eliminate cancer cells while minimising damage to healthy tissue. The ADC developed by AimedBio targets a protein that is highly expressed across a broad spectrum of cancers, minimally present in normal tissues, and plays a significant role in tumour growth, metastasis and resistance to therapy. Targeting this protein with an ADC is expected to enable highly specific cytotoxic action against the tumor cells, enhancing efficacy and supporting better outcomes for patients.
Under the terms of the agreement, AimedBio is entitled to receive up to $991 million in total, including an upfront payment, development and regulatory milestones, and commercial milestones, as well as separate royalty payments on net sales.
“ADCs are a powerful therapeutic approach that combines biological precision with chemical potency,” said Vittoria Zinzalla, Global Head of Experimental Medicine at Boehringer Ingelheim. “Targeting the specific cancer surface marker with AimedBio’s ADC may expand precision medicine treatment options for currently hard to treat cancers and potentially deliver meaningful benefit to patients."
