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Merck, Ambrx Partner In Effort To Create Better-Targeted Drug Conjugates

Unlike most work in antibody-drug conjugates, however, the collaboration will not focus on oncology but on a broad array of undisclosed targets that may be applicable in a wide variety of indications.

Seeing the early success Seattle Genetics Inc. has had with antibody-drug conjugate product Adcetris (brentuximab vedotin), Merck & Co. Inc. has decided to pursue an ADC strategy itself. On June 18, the pharma announced a collaboration with Ambrx Inc. in which the biotech will apply its site-specific conjugation technology to biologics Merck will discover and develop against mutually selected targets.

Merck is paying the San Diego-based biotech $15 million upfront under the deal, with the potential milestone payments of up to $288 million to Ambrx as well as royalties on net

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