After inking a series of partnerships late last year, Lonza’s antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) specialist Synaffix is kicking off 2025 with a return to the dealmaking table.
Under a new licensing pact, Synaffix will grant Boehringer Ingelheim access to its bespoke ADC technologies for an "agreed but undisclosed number of targets." The first target was decided by the companies when the deal was signed, while the other two are set to be nominated within a predefined time frame, Synaffix said in a Thursday release.
As part of the accord, Synaffix is set to receive an undisclosed upfront payment as well potential milestone payments worth up to $1.3 billion. The Lonza subsidiary could also receive additional royalty payments should any candidates from the collaboration make it to the market.
"By combining our deep expertise in cancer treatment development with Synaffix’s clinical-stage platform technology, we aim to accelerate the delivery of first-in-class cancer treatments to improve cancer patient outcomes," Lamine Mbow, global head of discovery research at Boehringer, said in a statement.
For Synaffix, the deal marks "the culmination of a successful preclinical evaluation of our technology," the company's CEO Peter van der Sande added.
Boehringer plans to leverage Synaffix's tech to broaden its ADC portfolio through its subsidiary NBE Therapeutics, which the German drugmaker purchased for $1.5 billion in late 2020.
Separately, Synaffix on Thursday also unveiled an ADC technology licensing deal with Japan's Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma. Under the agreement, for which financial terms weren't disclosed, Synaffix will be in charge of manufacturing the components related to its technology platform. Mitsubishi Tanabi will spearhead research, development, production and marketing of its undisclosed ADC candidate.
Synaffix has established itself as a stalwart partner for drug developers in the ADC space, having penned deals with the likes of Amgen, ADC Therapeutics, Genmab, Innovent Biologics and many others.
To hear the company tell it, Synaffix’s approach—which hinges on an enzymatic modification of native glycan anchor points on antibodies—allows "any company with an antibody to develop proprietary best-in-class ADC products."
Synaffix’s deal with Boehringer follows a string of team-ups toward the end of 2024.
In November, the Lonza subsidiary inked a licensing pact with AI- and machine-learning-focused BigHat Biosciences for an undisclosed sum. The deal also gives BigHat access to ADC offerings from Lonza.
The following month, Elevation Oncology agreed to pay Synaffix up to $368 million to access the company’s technology for its newly nominated HER3 ADC.
Further back, in 2023, Amgen, Hummingbird Bioscience, MacroGenics and Sotio struck ADC deals with Synaffix collectively worth some $5 billion in biobucks.