Seattle expands ADC collaboration with Genentech

Seattle Genetics announces that it has expanded its antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) collaboration agreement with Genentech. Under the expanded agreement, Genentech will pay an upfront fee of US$12 million for rights to utilise Seattle’s ADC technology with additional antigens to be named by Genentech.

Genentech is responsible for research, preclinical and clinical development, manufacturing and commercialisation of ADC under the expanded agreement. Pursuant to the terms of the expansion, Seattle is eligible to receive more than US$900 million in fees and milestones if all ADC in the expanded portion of the collaboration are commercialised, as well as mid-single digit royalties on worldwide net sales of any resulting ADC products.

Seattle is also eligible to receive annual maintenance fees and research support payments for potential assistance if requested by Genentech under the collaboration.

Seattle and Genentech established an initial ADC collaboration in 2002, under which Genentech has paid more than US$30 million in collaboration payments. Under that agreement, Seattle is eligible to receive more than US$500 million in milestone payments if all ADC in the initial collaboration are commercialised, as well as mid-single digit royalties on worldwide net sales of any resulting ADC products.

ADC are monoclonal antibodies that selectively deliver potent anti-cancer agents to tumor cells. With over a decade of experience and knowledge in ADC innovation, Seattle has developed proprietary technology employing synthetic, highly potent cell-killing agents called auristatins (such as MMAE and MMAF) and stable linker systems that attach auristatin to the antibody.

Seattle’s novel linker systems are designed to be stable in the bloodstream and release the potent cell-killing agent once inside targeted cancer cells. This approach is intended to spare non-targeted cells and thus reduce many of the toxic effects of traditional chemotherapy while enhancing the antitumor activity.

Seattle has generated more than US$130 million through its ADC technology license agreements with leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.