Lonza and Engitix have entered into a licensing agreement aimed at accelerating the development of next-generation antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), combining Lonza’s established drug conjugation technologies with Engitix’s extracellular matrix (ECM)-based drug discovery platform.
The partnership is designed to support the development of targeted therapies for patients with chronic diseases and cancers by enabling Engitix to build antibody-drug conjugates that selectively target disease-associated tissues while minimizing damage to healthy cells.
Under the agreement, Engitix will receive a single-target license to access several of Lonza’s proprietary ADC technologies, including its SYNtecan E™ linker-payload platform as well as the complementary GlycoConnect® and HydraSpace® technologies.
Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. However, Lonza said it will be eligible to receive upfront payments, as well as development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments. The company is also entitled to royalties on future net sales of any products resulting from the collaboration.
As part of the agreement, Lonza will manufacture components related to its proprietary ADC technologies, while Engitix will be responsible for research, development, manufacturing, and eventual commercialization of the antibody-drug conjugate candidates.
The collaboration reflects growing interest in expanding the use of ADC technology beyond traditional oncology applications while improving the precision of targeted therapies.
ADCs are designed to combine the targeting ability of monoclonal antibodies with highly potent therapeutic payloads. By delivering these payloads directly to diseased tissues, the approach aims to improve treatment effectiveness while reducing systemic side effects commonly associated with conventional therapies.
Engitix plans to combine Lonza’s clinically validated conjugation technologies with its own proprietary human extracellular matrix (ECM) platform, which studies disease biology directly in human tissue rather than relying primarily on conventional cell-based models.
Unlike many current targeted therapies that focus on proteins found on the surface of cells, Engitix’s discovery platform identifies disease-associated targets within the extracellular matrix—the complex network of proteins and structural molecules that surrounds cells and plays a critical role in tissue function and disease progression.
The company believes this strategy may uncover novel therapeutic targets involved in diseases characterized by abnormal tissue remodeling, including fibrosis and several forms of cancer.
By integrating the two technologies, the companies hope to develop ADC candidates capable of delivering potent therapeutic agents specifically to tumor-associated extracellular matrix targets identified through Engitix’s discovery platform.
Jan Vertommen, Vice President of Commercial Development for Advanced Synthesis at Lonza, said the collaboration brings together complementary scientific strengths.
“We are pleased to collaborate with Engitix on this innovative program,” Vertommen said. “By combining our expertise in ADC development and manufacturing with Engitix’s unique ECM-based discovery platform, we aim to advance next-generation antibody-drug conjugates and unlock new opportunities in targeted therapies for patients.”
Engitix Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder Dr. Giuseppe Mazza said the agreement strengthens the company’s efforts to develop more precise treatments for diseases with significant unmet medical needs.
“At Engitix, we are committed to translating our understanding of the disease microenvironment into transformative therapies,” Mazza said. “Licensing Lonza’s clinically validated conjugation and linker-payload technologies provides us with a powerful toolkit to develop next-generation ECM-targeted therapeutics with the potential for improved efficacy, reduced toxicity, and a better therapeutic index.”
The agreement supports Engitix’s broader strategy of building a diversified pipeline of precision medicines focused on diseases driven by pathological tissue remodeling.
While oncology remains a key area of development, the company is also pursuing therapies for fibrotic diseases and other chronic conditions in which changes to the extracellular matrix contribute to disease progression.
For Lonza, the partnership further expands the reach of its antibody-drug conjugate technology platform, which has become an increasingly important part of its contract development and manufacturing business as pharmaceutical companies invest heavily in targeted therapies.
The collaboration also highlights continued momentum in the ADC field, where advances in linker technologies, payload design, and target selection are helping expand the potential applications of these therapies beyond traditional cancer treatment.
Although the companies have not disclosed timelines for advancing specific candidates into clinical development, the agreement marks another step toward developing more selective and effective precision medicines that could improve outcomes for patients with cancer, fibrosis, and other chronic diseases.