BRIEF—ADC and Adagene enter into collaboration

ADC Therapeutics has entered into a discovery collaboration and license agreement with Adagene, leveraging the latter’s SAFEbody technology to develop a novel antibody-drug conjugate against a solid tumor target.

Senior VP of R&D Patrick van Berkel said: "Combining a SAFEbody with highly potent PBD-based payloads will allow us to develop potent new tumor-specific ADCs that depend on the unique conditions in the local tumor microenvironment for full activation.”

The agreement relates to one exclusive target, with the option for one additional target. Adagene will receive research funding for the discovery phase. Upon success of the discovery collaboration, Adagene will receive an upfront payment, development and commercial milestone payments, and royalties on net sales, plus commercial rights for China and Hong Kong.