The partnership involves the development of an ADC for the treatment of individuals with advanced small cell lung cancer. Credit: Jo Panuwat D/Shutterstock.

Innovent Biologics and Roche have entered a partnership and exclusive licence agreement to accelerate the development of a delta-like ligand 3 (DLL3)-targeted antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) candidate, IBI3009, for the treatment of individuals with advanced small cell lung cancer.

Roche will gain exclusive worldwide rights to develop, manufacture and commercialise the antibody. The partnership will initially focus on the ADC’s early-stage development, after which Roche will assume full responsibility for its development.

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Innovent will obtain an $80m upfront payment and could earn up to $1bn in development and commercial milestones, as well as tiered royalties on net product sales.

Roche corporate business development head Boris Zaïtra stated: “We are excited to enter this partnership with the Innovent team to further develop this promising investigational treatment for patients with small cell lung cancer.

“This partnership builds on Roche’s long history of innovation in the area of ADCs, to address the unmet needs of patients with solid tumours with transformational medicines.”

Developed using the topoisomerase 1 inhibitor platform of Innovent, the therapy has demonstrated a safety profile described as favourable, and “encouraging” anti-tumour activity in preclinical studies.

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DLL3 is an antigen overexpressed in certain cancers, and IBI3009 is designed to target this while maintaining low expression in normal tissues.

The antibody has already received investigational new drug approvals in the US, China and Australia. The first subject was dosed in December 2024 in a Phase I study.

Innovent Biologics chief business officer Dr Samuel Zhang stated:  “By combining Roche’s scientific expertise and global development capabilities with our innovative approach, we are taking a significant step forward in our mission — to empower patients worldwide with affordable, high-quality biopharmaceuticals.”

The partnership with Roche builds on Innovent’s history of strategic collaborations, such as the expanded agreement with Eli Lilly in August 2020 for the joint development of Tyvyt (sintilimab injection) in China.