Eli Lilly is actively expanding its involvement in the burgeoning field of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) in Europe. Following its recent acquisition of Emergence Therapeutics, Lilly has now sealed a deal to purchase one of its collaborators, Mablink Bioscience, further fortifying its portfolio with advanced ADC technology and a promising pipeline of drug candidates.
Lilly’s engagement with ADCs has been marked by a series of shifts. The pharmaceutical giant initially partnered with ImmunoGen in 2011, only to terminate the collaboration seven years later. Recognizing the rapid growth and potential of the ADC sector, particularly with the remarkable performance of assets like Enhertu, Lilly re-entered the field. Last year, it rekindled its partnership with ImmunoGen, and in June, it acquired Emergence.
The acquisition of Mablink deepens Lilly’s commitment to the thriving field of cancer therapeutics. Mablink, headquartered in France, is at the forefront of developing a pipeline based on PSARLink, a linker technology designed to minimize systemic toxicity while maximizing the delivery of therapeutic payloads to specific cancer cells. Emergence recognized the promise of this linker technology and licensed it two years ago for its ADC targeting Nectin-4, which subsequently became part of Lilly’s pipeline following its acquisition of Emergence.
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Having gained insight into the potential of PSARLink, Lilly has now chosen to incorporate Mablink and its cutting-edge linker technology. It’s important to note that the acquisition is pending approval from French regulatory authorities, as confirmed by the biotech. Mablink, which successfully raised a 31 million euro ($33 million) series A funding round last year, is leveraging this technology to develop an in-house pipeline. The lead candidate, MBK-103, is an ADC designed to deliver a topoisomerase I inhibitor to cells expressing FRα.
However, the field is highly competitive, with ImmunoGen receiving accelerated FDA approval for an ADC targeting the folate receptor just 11 months ago. Other prominent players, including Bristol Myers Squibb, which invested $650 million in an Eisai candidate, and a cluster of biotech firms such as Elucida Oncology and ProfoundBio, are also actively pursuing ADCs. Mablink anticipates entering clinical trials next year, having already shared preclinical data earlier this year.
Eli Lilly’s strategic expansion into the ADC arena through the acquisition of Mablink underscores its commitment to advancing cutting-edge therapies for cancer treatment.
