Ona Therapeutics to develop ADC with WuXi’s payload-linker platform

The deal grants Ona Therapeutics rights to develop the ADC targeting a single undisclosed target.

It includes an upfront payment from Ona Therapeutics to WuXi XDC, along with additional payments tied to development, regulatory, and sales milestones.

WuXi XDC will also be eligible for tiered royalties on net sales if the ADC product reaches commercialisation.

The company will also deliver chemistry, manufacturing and controls development.

It will also provide manufacturing support through its integrated ADC contract research, development, and manufacturing platform.

This collaboration marks the second time that Ona Therapeutics and WuXi XDC have worked together in the ADC sector.

The companies previously entered a partnership in 2024, in which Ona Therapeutics licensed additional technologies for its ADC pipeline.

WuXi XDC CEO Jimmy Li said: “We are truly honoured to join forces once again with Ona Therapeutics. As an innovative biotech company focused on first-in-class targets, Ona’s deep insights into novel targets are highly complementary to WuXi XDC’s leading ADC technology platforms.

“With its hydrophilic linker delivering significantly enhanced ADC stability, the WuXiTecan 2 platform has completed two out-licensing deals within just six months. This collaboration not only further validates the value of our WuXiTecan 2 platform but also reaffirms WuXi XDC’s commitment to empowering innovative biotech companies worldwide.

“Through our integrated, end-to-end CRDMO platform, we look forward to fully supporting Ona Therapeutics in accelerating this first-in-class ADC candidate into the clinic, bringing new treatment options to patients.”

Ona Therapeutics is engaged in developing ADCs for cancers that are resistant to treatment by utilising a discovery platform focused on new tumour-specific antigens and epitopes.

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