Seattle Genetics not just 'the Adcetris company,' says CEO

The runaway success of Adcetris (brentuximab vedotin) ensured the future of Seattle Genetics (Nasdaq: SGEN) as an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) specialist, but chief executive Clay Siegall has bigger ideas about the breadth of focus for the growing company.

The story starts, however, with Adcetris, a product which took in $307 million for the firm last year, compared to $266 million the year before, plus tens of millions in ex-US royalties via a longstanding commercialization deal with Japan’s Takeda Pharmaceutical (TYO: 4502).

Asked about his firm's focus on ADCs, and the strategic rationale behind this approach, Mr Siegall says: "For years there have been some very strong antibodies which, on their own are powerful and can treat patients.”