The collaboration focuses on a three-asset portfolio of preclinical next-wave ADCs.
These ADC assets were developed through a joint effort between WuXi Biologics and Hangzhou DAC Biotechnology, leveraging the former’s antibody discovery platform and Hangzhou DAC’s linker-payload technology.
WuXi Biologics CEO Dr Chris Chen said: “Leveraging our advanced antibody discovery service, we’re glad to enable Aadi to accelerate the discovery of precision therapies targeting some of the most challenging cancers.
“This collaboration underscores our wide recognition as an industry leader in discovery service solutions, and further validates our ability to provide integrated discovery technology platforms for global partners to develop next-generation modalities.
“We look forward to partnering with Aadi and Hangzhou DAC to expeditiously move these assets forward into clinical development and benefit patients worldwide.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Aadi Bioscience will make an upfront payment of $44m to WuXi Biologics and Hangzhou DAC for the three assets.
In addition to the upfront payment, Aadi Bioscience will make milestone payments as the ADC assets progress through development and commercialisation.
These include cumulative development milestone payments reaching up to $265m, and commercial payments totalling up to $540m, along with single-digit royalties on sales of the ADCs.
Aadi Bioscience president and CEO David Lennon said: “We were deliberate in identifying broadly expressed tumour targets where first-generation ADCs have already shown proof of concept. With our next wave ADC portfolio, we aim to build upon these earlier therapies to deliver improved outcomes for people living with cancer.”