Suzhou, China, January 2, 2024 - Suzhou MediLink Therapeutics ("MediLink") announced today that it has reached a global cooperation and licensing agreement with Roche. The two parties will collaborate to develop a next-generation antibody-drug conjugate product candidate YL211 ("c-MET ADC") targeting mesenchymal epidermal transforming factor (c-MET) for the treatment of solid tumors.

Under the terms of the agreement, Roche will obtain exclusive rights to the global development, manufacturing and commercialization of YL211. MediLink will work with the China Innovation Center of Roche (CICoR) to promote the YL211 project into phase I clinical trials, and Roche will be responsible for further development and commercialization work on a global scale. Roche will pay MediLink an upfront payment and near-term milestone payments of US$50 million, in addition to nearly US$1 billion in potential milestone payments for development, registration and commercialization, as well as future gradient royalties based on global annual net sales.

About YL211

YL211 is a next-generation antibody-drug conjugate that specifically targets mesenchymal epidermal transforming factor (c-MET). c-MET is a member of the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) family, which is closely related to tumor formation, invasive growth and metastasis, and is a key target in the treatment of epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Although multiple c-MET-targeted therapies, including ADCs, have shown efficacy in patients with solid tumors, opportunities still exist globally to provide patients with better treatment options to address huge unmet medical needs. YL211 is currently in the clinical application stage and adopts MediLink’s new generation TMALIN® ADC platform technology, coupled with highly specific c-MET antibodies. YL211 has demonstrated promising efficacy and safety in a variety of preclinical tumor models and safety evaluation experiments.

About MediLink Therapeutics

Founded in 2020, MediLink is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of innovative conjugated drugs. It has developed the latest generation of Tumor Microenvironment Activable LINker-payload (TMALIN®) new antibody conjugated drug platform with independent intellectual property rights. Technology can achieve high DAR value, uniform and stable coupling, further improve the therapeutic window of ADC drugs, and enhance the therapeutic effect of ADC drugs in solid tumors, in order to bring better treatment options to tumor patients around the world.

MediLink is headquartered in Suzhou, China, and has established R&D branches in Shanghai, China, and Boston, the United States.

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