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| Jan van de Winkel |
Genmab is taking its cancer drug collaboration with Seattle Genetics one more step forward. The Danish biotech is handing over an $11 million upfront and promising up to $200 million more to get the right to use Seattle Genetics' antibody-drug conjugate technology for its HuMax-AXL program. The program uses an antibody targeted at AXL, with Seattle Genetics' widely deployed "armed antibody" tech helping with the payload delivery.
The deal gives Seattle Genetics ($SGEN) a chance to rework the numbers if the program makes it to the threshold of Phase III, with an option to trade milestones for a bigger slice of the royalties. And it builds on a relationship that dates back to 2010, when Genmab (copenhagen:GEN) first came calling to tie up on another HuMax program targeting the Tissue Factor antigen for solid tumors.
Both Seattle Genetics and Genmab have busy partnering teams. In addition to its own pipeline effort and Genmab work, Seattle Genetics has inked deals with the likes of Genentech, AbbVie and Progenics. Genmab, meanwhile, has partnered with J&J on the CD38 antibody daratumumab in a $1 billion deal. The Copenhagen-based company grabbed a $25 million milestone in that deal just weeks ago, which was triggered by progress on the Phase III study of the drug for multiple myeloma. The drug was also awarded "breakthrough" status at the FDA.
"This new collaboration with Seattle Genetics adds another ADC program to our innovative pre-clinical pipeline of antibodies developed using the latest technological advances in cancer therapeutics. Pre-clinical work identified AXL as an excellent target for an ADC therapeutic approach," said Genmab CEO Jan van de Winkel in a statement. "Accessing state-of-the art technology of companies such as 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."
- here's the release