DualityBio partners with Genentech on cancer drug development

DualityBio, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, has formed a partnership with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, to develop cancer treatments. The two companies have entered into a collaboration and license agreement, which grants DualityBio the rights to develop antibody-drug conjugates using Genentech's DUPAC payload platform.

Under the terms of the agreement, DualityBio will receive an upfront payment of $45 million and is eligible for over $1 billion in milestone payments. Additionally, DualityBio will receive royalties from annual net sales of any approved products. The collaboration will focus on discovering and developing ADCs (antibody-drug conjugates) against oncology targets identified by Genentech, with DualityBio leading global clinical development.

The DUPAC platform, one of DualityBio's four proprietary ADC technology platforms, includes multiple payloads with distinct mechanisms to address resistance to current payload classes in approved ADCs. Dr. John Zhu, DualityBio's founder and CEO, noted that as topoisomerase inhibitor-based ADCs become more widely used, there is a growing need for treatments targeting tumors resistant to this class of drugs.

Boris L. Zaïtra, head of Roche Corporate Business Development, stated that the partnership allows Genentech to identify novel treatment options for unmet needs in cancer care. DualityBio has conducted numerous global clinical trials across more than 20 countries, enrolling over 3,500 patients to date.