Adimab Announces Antibody Discovery Platform Transfer with Takeda

Sixth pharma partner to internalize the Adimab platform

LEBANON, N.H.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Adimab,
LLC, the global leader in the discovery and optimization of fully
human monoclonal and bispecific antibodies, today announced that it has
entered into an agreement to transfer the Adimab Platform to Takeda
Pharmaceuticals (Takeda) for the discovery and optimization of antibody-
and non-antibody-based protein therapeutics. This technology transfer
expands an ongoing collaboration between the two companies that was
initiated in 2016.

The Adimab transfer will provide Takeda with technology licenses at
multiple research sites for discovery and optimization of novel
modalities across therapeutic areas. This engineering solution provides
Takeda the internal capability to engineer different complex molecules
as part of its ongoing pipeline diversification strategy in biologics
and other modalities.

“Takeda is building a world-class network of capabilities and
partnerships to deliver the best therapeutics to address the unmet needs
of specific patient populations,” said Takeda’s Head of Global Biologics
Research, Robert Mabry. “Adimab’s antibody discovery platform will help
us diversify our pipeline beyond small molecules, expand our modalities
for monoclonal antibody therapeutics, and advance other mechanisms of
action enabled by antibody binders, including cell therapies, cytotoxic
payloads, immunomodulatory payloads and others.”

“For the past three years, we’ve been initiating approximately 35
programs per year internally; this typically involves discovery,
optimization and often bispecifics, including using our proprietary CD3
antibodies,” said Tillman Gerngross, Chief Executive Officer and
Co-Founder at Adimab. “The Adimab Platform can be broadly applied to
Takeda’s growing biologics pipeline, across many different modalities,
so we’re excited to provide Takeda with the capability to advance its
protein-based therapeutic efforts.”

“Of the 280-plus Adimab programs initiated to date, almost one-third
have come from our Platform Transfer partners, and we see the enablement
of more external users as an active area of growth,” added Guy Van
Meter, Chief Business Officer at Adimab.

Under the terms of the agreement, Takeda will have exclusive access to
unique human antibody libraries and will receive a license to the Adimab
Platform for use in all therapeutic areas without any target
restrictions. Takeda has also secured options to receive continued
improvements to the Adimab Platform, including access to new antibody
libraries. Adimab will receive an undisclosed upfront fee, future
payments upon achievement of specified preclinical and clinical
milestones, and royalties on therapeutic products.

About Adimab

Adimab is the leading technology provider for antibody-based drug
discovery, focusing solely on its partners without pursuing an internal
product pipeline. Since 2009, Adimab has partnered with 65
pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, generating more than 280
therapeutic programs. The Adimab technology has been transferred and
implemented at Biogen, GSK, Lilly, Merck, Novo Nordisk, and now Takeda.
Funded discovery partners include leading pharmaceutical companies, such
as Boehringer Ingelheim, Celgene, Genentech, Gilead, Kyowa Hakko Kirin,
Novartis, Roche, Sanofi and others. Adimab has also partnered with many
early-stage venture-backed companies, including Cullinan Oncology,
Dragonfly, Pliant, Potenza, Tizona, iTeos and others, as well as
mid-size public biopharmaceutical companies such as Acceleron, Alector,
Five Prime, Innovent, Jounce, Mersana, Scholar Rock, Surface Oncology,
and others.

Adimab’s integrated antibody discovery and engineering platform provides
unprecedented speed from antigen to purified, full-length human IgGs.
Adimab offers fundamental advantages by delivering diverse panels of
therapeutically relevant antibodies that meet the most aggressive
standards for affinity, epitope coverage, species cross-reactivity, and
developability. Adimab enables its partners to rapidly expand their
biologics pipelines through a broad spectrum of technology access
arrangements. For more information, visit http://www.adimab.com

Contacts

Guy Van Meter
Chief Business Officer
Adimab, LLC
(603)
653-5775
[email protected]