Lonza and Engitix partner to develop next-generation antibody-drug conjugates
pharmafile | July 28, 2026 | News story | |Â Â Engitix, Lonza, antibody-drug conjugatesÂ
Lonza and Engitix have entered into a licensing agreement to support the development of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), combining Engitix’s extracellular matrix (ECM)-based discovery platform with Lonza’s conjugation and linker-payload technologies.
Under the agreement, Engitix will license Lonza’s ADC technology platform for a single therapeutic target, including the company’s SYNtecan E linker-payload technology together with GlycoConnect and HydraSpace platforms.
The collaboration aims to develop targeted therapeutics by combining Engitix’s approach to identifying disease-associated extracellular matrix targets with established ADC technologies designed to selectively deliver potent therapeutic payloads.
ADCs have traditionally targeted proteins on the surface of tumour cells. Engitix’s proprietary human ECM platform instead focuses on components of the extracellular matrix, offering an alternative strategy for identifying therapeutic targets in oncology and other diseases characterised by pathological tissue remodelling.
Under the terms of the agreement, Lonza will receive upfront, clinical, regulatory and commercial milestone payments, together with royalties on future product sales. The company will manufacture components related to its proprietary technologies, while Engitix will be responsible for research, development, manufacturing and commercialisation of resulting ADC candidates.
Jan Vertommen, Vice President of Commercial Development, Advanced Synthesis at Lonza, said: “By combining our ADC development and manufacturing expertise with Engitix’s unique ECM-based discovery platform, we aim to advance next-generation ADCs and unlock new possibilities in targeted therapies for patients.”
Engitix said the agreement supports its strategy to build a pipeline of precision therapeutics targeting fibrosis, oncology and other diseases driven by pathological tissue remodelling, while expanding the application of extracellular matrix biology to drug development.
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