Gilead Sciences has entered into an exclusive option and license agreement with Tubulis, potentially worth $415 million, to advance novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) therapies for solid tumors. The deal includes an upfront payment of $20 million to Tubulis, with a $30 million option exercise fee should Gilead choose to exclusively license the partnership program. Tubulis is also eligible for up to $415 million in development and commercialization milestones, plus tiered royalties if a product reaches the market.
Leveraging Tubulis' Tubutecan Platform
Under the agreement, Gilead gains access to Tubulis' proprietary Tubutecan platform, which utilizes the biotech's P5 conjugation technology. This technology is designed to produce ultra-stable ADCs that can effectively deliver topoisomerase-I payloads to designated targets while minimizing unwanted toxicities. Flavius Martin, vice president of research at Gilead, stated that the Tubulis partnership will provide access to "novel technologies" critical for advancing Gilead's pipeline and developing "next-generation therapies and combinations."
Tubulis' Growing Recognition in the ADC Space
Tubulis' platform has garnered attention from other major players in the pharmaceutical industry. In April 2023, Bristol Myers Squibb partnered with Tubulis, providing $22.75 million upfront with the potential for over $1 billion in further payments, to develop safer and more effective ADCs targeting solid tumors. Additionally, Tubulis recently closed a $140 million Series B2 funding round to advance its own pipeline of ADCs, including TUB-040 for ovarian and lung cancer and TUB-030 for solid tumors.
Gilead's ADC Comeback Strategy
This partnership signifies Gilead's attempt to revitalize its ADC pipeline after recent setbacks. In October 2024, Gilead withdrew Trodelvy from the bladder cancer market following disappointing results from the Phase III TROPiCS-04 trial. The data indicated that Trodelvy did not demonstrate a significant overall survival (OS) benefit compared to physician's choice of treatment. Furthermore, in January 2024, Trodelvy failed to meet its primary endpoint in the Phase III EVOKE-01 study for non-small cell lung cancer, failing to significantly improve OS compared to docetaxel in patients with advanced or metastatic disease who had progressed on or after platinum chemotherapy and treatment with a checkpoint inhibitor.
