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Taiho Expands Cancer Pipeline With ADCs In $400m Araris Buy

Add-On To Japanese Pharma’s Small Molecule Efforts

 
• By Mandy Jackson

Taiho’s acquisition of Swiss next-generation antibody-drug conjugate developer Araris is one of about 10 ADC deals so far in 2025. The companies previously partnered in 2023.

Araris and Taiho first partnered on ADC development in November 2023 (Shutterstock)
Key Takeaways
  • Taiho will pay $400m up front and up to $740m in milestone fees to buy ADC platform company Araris, expanding its oncology drug development pipeline beyond small molecules.
  • Swiss biotech firm Araris developed novel ADC linker technology that it believes will improve efficacy as well as toxicity.
  • The transaction is one of about 10 ADC deals so far in 2025, including a collaboration Araris signed earlier this year with Chugai.

Taiho Pharmaceuticals said on 17 March that it will spend $400m up front and up to $740m in milestone payments to expand its cancer drug development pipeline through the acquisition of antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) developer Araris Biotech

The acquisition of Araris began with a relationship established in November 2023, when the Swiss biotech and Taiho agreed to collaborate on the development of novel ADCs against unnamed drug targets using Araris’s proprietary linker-payload technology platform, AraLinQ. The financial terms of that partnership were not disclosed

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