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Amgen inks $1.25B ADCs deal with LegoChem Biosciences

South Korean-based biotech LegoChem Biosciences (LCB) revealed this week that it has entered a $1.25 billion research collaboration and license agreement with Amgen to develop up to 5 investigational antibody-drug conjugates.

Under the agreement, Amgen will have access to LCB’s proprietary ConjuAll ADC technology platform, which reveals optimized site-specific conjugation as well as selectively activating linker and payload technologies for ADCs.

According to LCB, ConjuAll helps to overcome the limitations associated with conventional ADCs-producing technologies, providing greater potency, safety, and stability which enables the development of ADCs with a wider therapeutic window and improved manufacturability.

It’s been a good month for ADCs, with pharma giant Merck announcing last week that it would be collaborating with China-based Kelun-Biotech to develop seven investigational preclinical antibody-drug conjugates for the treatment of cancer in a deal that could reach $9.3 billion.