Takeda Licenses Mersana's Fleximer-ADC Candidate For Onco-Targets
By Cyndi Root
Takeda’s Millennium Pharmaceuticals has licensed Mersana Therapeutics’ Fleximer- antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) candidate for oncology indications. The move, announced in a press release, is an extension of the companies’ research collaboration, initiated early in 2014. Takeda has licensed the first novel ADC candidate, which uses Mersana’s proprietary biodegradable polymer system to deliver anti-tumor payloads.
Christopher Claiborne, Ph.D., Head of the Oncology Drug Discovery Unit at Takeda, said, “The collaboration with Mersana has progressed rapidly and has proven beneficial for our discovery research efforts. We have been impressed with the results generated through use of the Fleximer platform.”
Takeda, Mersana Agreement
Mersana and Takeda have been conducting studies over the past seven months with Fleximer-ADCs against an undisclosed oncology target. Takeda has opted to secure a commercial license for one candidate, conferring license fees, milestone payments, and royalties to Mersana. Takeda will develop the candidate, manufacture it, and commercialize the product. Mersana and Takeda are continuing their collaboration and conducting pre-clinical and proof-of-concept studies on other candidates.
Fleximer-ADC
Mersana has created antibody conjugates with Takeda’s antibodies. Mersana’s Fleximer platform combines the ADC with biodegradable polymers and linkers to produce a cytotoxic payload that is released once inside the targeted cell. The Fleximer-ADCs include Dolaflexin, an auristatin-polymer conjugate; Vindeflexin, a vindesine-polymer conjugate; and Cytoflexin, a tubulysin-polymer conjugate.
ADC Market
Small and large companies are finding that the combination of an antibody with a toxic drug/chemotherapy is efficient and effective. The “Antibody Drug Conjugates Market, 2014-2024” report gives some insight into the ADC niche in the pharmaceutical industry. Experts state the ADC’s have a promising future but have several challenges to meet. Authors find that the market is in its infancy as only Adcetris and Kadcyla are currently marketed. There are many ADCs in development, mostly for onco-targets.
In 2014, the ADC market is worth approximately $600 million and report authors forecast a market of $10 billion annually by 2024. Sales are further defined according to the type of ADC, the type of linker, and the type of cytotoxin. Roche may lead the market in the future, as it has the most molecules in clinical development, however Oxford BioTherapeutics, Mersana, and Abzena are companies to watch. The specialized ADC technologies are currently in the provenance of only a few providers, notably Seattle Genetics and ImmunoGen.