Avenzo Therapeutics and DualityBio Announce Exclusive Global License for Potential Best-In-Class EGFR/HER3 Antibody-Drug Conjugate

Avenzo Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company, and Duality Biotherapeutics, a clinical-stage biotech company, have announced an exclusive license agreement. This agreement grants Avenzo the rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize AVZO-1418/DB-1418, a potential best-in-class EGFR/HER3 bispecific antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), globally, excluding Greater China.

EGFR and HER3 are co-expressed across various solid tumors, including non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, and head and neck cancer. AVZO-1418/DB-1418, developed using DualityBio’s proprietary Duality Innovative Bispecific Antibody Conjugate (DIBAC) platform, has shown higher binding affinity to tumor cells and efficacy potential across various solid tumors in preclinical studies.

Under the terms of the agreement, DualityBio will receive an upfront payment of $50 million and could receive up to approximately $1.15 billion in development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments. Additionally, DualityBio is eligible for tiered royalties on sales in Avenzo’s territory.

IND-enabling studies are currently ongoing, with plans to advance AVZO-1418/DB-1418 into a first-in-human clinical study this year. This collaboration aims to accelerate the development of a potential new treatment option for cancer patients, targeting underserved therapeutic areas with the next generation of oncology therapies.