Genmab and argenx have entered into a collaboration agreement to jointly discover, develop and commercialise novel therapeutic antibodies with applications in immunology, as well as in oncology therapeutic areas.
The multiyear collaboration will leverage the antibody engineering expertise and knowledge of disease biology of both companies to accelerate the identification and development of novel antibody therapeutic candidates with a goal to address unmet patient needs in immunology and cancer.
“Genmab is entering the therapeutic area of immunology and inflammation as a stepping stone to achieving its vision that by 2030, our knock-your-socks-off “KYSO” antibody medicines will be transforming the lives of people with cancer and other serious diseases,” said Jan van de Winkel, PhD and CEO of Genmab. “By partnering with argenx, we will be able to combine our deep knowledge of the biology and therapeutic power of antibodies and have an opportunity to address patients’ needs in oncology as well as in immunology and inflammation.”
Our core mission is to innovate on behalf of patients by translating immunology breakthroughs into novel pipeline candidates
“Our core mission is to innovate on behalf of patients by translating immunology breakthroughs into novel pipeline candidates. We do this through a model of co-creation which has led to eight molecules demonstrating human proof-of-concept in our pipeline,” said Tim Van Hauwermeiren, CEO of argenx. “Through our collaboration with Genmab, we are bringing together our combined antibody discovery, development and commercialisation expertise to unlock insights on the disease pathways that we will address. This allows us to broaden our capabilities and maximise the opportunity to generate novel therapeutic antibodies within autoimmunity or cancer.”
As per the agreement, argenx and Genmab will each have access to the suites of proprietary antibody technologies of both companies to advance the identification of lead antibody candidates against differentiated disease targets. Under the terms of the agreement, argenx and Genmab will jointly discover, develop and commercialise products emerging from the collaboration while equally sharing costs as well as any potential future profits. The collaboration will initially focus on two differentiated targets, including one within immunology and one within cancer, with the potential to expand to more.