Ajinomoto and Exelixis sign agreement to develop novel ADCs for cancer treatment

pharmafile | January 12, 2023 | News story | Research and Development  

Ajinomoto Co., a Japanese biotech company providing biopharmaceuticals, has signed a license agreement with Exelixis Inc., an oncology-focused biotech company, to incorporate Ajinomoto Co.’s site-specific bioconjugation and linker technologies in the development of some of Exelixis’ antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) programmes.

 

AJICAP is compatible with commonly-used antibody isotypes, and allows any therapeutic antibody at any stage of development to be conjugated without the need for antibody engineering or cell line development. It also has hydrophilic linkers to generate ADCs with an enhanced therapeutic window.

 

As part of the agreement, Exelixis will be allowed to use AJICAP to advance multiple ADCs. It is hoped these will have the potential for higher efficacy and lower toxicity. In exchange, Ajinomoto will be eligible to receive development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments, as well as royalties on commercial sales.

 

Tatsuya Okuzumi, general manager, Business Development Group, Bio-Pharma Services Department, Ajinomoto Co., said: “We are very excited to support Exelixis, a leader in oncology drug discovery, development, and commercialisation, in the development of novel antibody-drug conjugates. The combination of Exelixis’ antibodies and payloads with Ajinomoto Co.’s AJICAP opens up a wide range of oncology applications and may be harnessed to provide a clinical benefit to patients.”

 

James Spargo


Related Content

No items found

Latest content