Genmab to fight AbbVie allegations of misappropriation

22 March 2025

Danish biotech (Nasdaq: GMAB) on Saturday revealed that US pharma major (AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) has filed a complaint in the US District Court for the Western District of Washington, naming Genmab, ProfoundBio and former AbbVie employees as defendants.

AbbVie alleges that the defendants have misappropriated AbbVie’s alleged trade secrets relating to the use of disaccharides to improve the hydrophilicity of drug-linkers in antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) in connection with rinatabart sesutecan (Rina-S) and other ADC pipeline products of ProfoundBio, a Seattle, USA-based company that Genmab acquired for around $1.8 billion in May 2024, along with its portfolio of antibody-conjugates (ADCs).

AbbVie is seeking damages and broad injunctive reliefs. AbbVie’s alleged trade secrets are related to the use of disaccharides to improve the hydrophilicity of drug-linkers in ADCs. AbbVie is not asserting or enforcing any patent rights against the defendants, and to Genmab’s knowledge, AbbVie has not pursued any development of products incorporating their alleged trade secrets.

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