Lonza, a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), and Bristol Myers Squibb, a global pharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering, developing and delivering innovative medicines, have entered an exclusive single-target licensing agreement under which BMS will gain exclusive access to the SYNtecan linker-payload platform to advance an ADC against an undisclosed target.

BMS will perform the research, development, manufacturing and commercialization of the ADC. Lonza, through one of its affiliated companies, will be eligible to receive upfront, potential milestone payments and royalty payments on net sales of resulting products.

Jan Vertommen, Vice President of Commercial Development, Advanced Synthesis, Lonza, said, “BMS has long been at the forefront of innovation in our industry, and this agreement marks a significant achievement in our collaboration with BMS.

According to Vertommen, licensing SYNtecan linker-payloads, Lonza’s TOPO1 inhibitor platform, to BMS provides another strong validation of its strength and its trustworthiness in delivering positive clinical outcomes.

He added, “We are pleased to add BMS to our partnered pipeline, as we collaborate to advance therapies that provide meaningful treatments to individuals who are still facing a critical unmet medical need.”