ADC Competition Heats Up In China But Caution, Pressure Also Mount

Multiple Partnerships Help Progress

After the anti-PD-1/L1 antibody and cell therapy rush, antibody-drug conjugates are quickly gaining attention in China as new technologies and deal-making activity heats up, but one first mover warns of potential over-crowding.

Chinese developers are flocking to ADC drugs after seeing chances of blockbuster success.
Chinese biotechs are flocking to ADC drugs after seeing chances of blockbuster success. • Source: Alamy

A high-profile June approval for a domestically-developed antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) has driven Chinese biotechs to flock to the segment, despite the high hurdles for newcomers. But these newcomer companies have not been deterred yet, hoping that reliance on foreign technologies will propel them to success.

Hong Kong-listed RemeGen Ltd. in June secured a conditional approval for its HER2-targeted ADC disitamab vedotin in China, which was the first regulatory go-ahead for an ADC originating in...

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