Ajinomoto & Exelixis Enter License Agreement to Discover & Develop Novel Antibody-Drug Conjugates for the Treatment of Cancer

Ajinomoto Co., Inc. recently announced a license agreement with Exelixis, Inc. to incorporate AJICAP, Ajinomoto Co.’s proprietary site-specific bioconjugation and linker technologies, in the development of certain of Exelixis’ antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) programs.

Exelixis is a commercially successful, oncology-focused biotechnology company that strives to accelerate the discovery, development, and commercialization of new medicines for difficult-to-treat cancers. Utilizing its network of biotherapeutics collaborations, the company is developing next-generation ADCs for the treatment of various cancers. Ajinomoto Co. is a leading technology provider for biopharmaceuticals and the owner of CDMO Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services. AJICAP is Ajinomoto Co.’s proprietary site-specific bioconjugation and stable linker technologies compatible with commonly used antibody isotypes. AJICAP technology includes its “off-the-shelf” feature, allowing any therapeutic antibody at any stage of development to be conjugated to drug-payloads of choice without the need for antibody engineering or cell line development, and stable/hydrophilic linkers to generate ADCs with an enhanced therapeutic window.

As part of the license agreement, Exelixis will have the right to use the AJICAP technology to support its aim of advancing multiple ADCs with the potential for higher efficacy and lower toxicity than currently available options. Ajinomoto Co. is eligible to receive development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments as well as royalties on commercial sales.

Dr. Tatsuya Okuzumi, General Manager, Business Development Group, Bio-Pharma Services Department, Ajinomoto Co., said “We are very excited to support Exelixis, a leader in oncology drug discovery, development, and commercialization, in the development of novel ADCs. The combination of Exelixis’ antibodies and payloads with Ajinomoto Co.’s AJICAP opens up a wide range of oncology applications and may be harnessed to provide a clinical benefit to patients.”

Based on the corporate message Eat Well, Live Well., Ajinomoto Co., Inc. has been scientifically pursuing the possibilities of amino acids to aim for future growth by creating new value through sustainable and innovative solutions for communities and society. For more information, visit www.ajinomoto.com.

As its pharmaceutical arm, Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services is a fully integrated contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with sites in Belgium, US, Japan, and India, providing comprehensive development, cGMP manufacturing, and aseptic fill finish services for small and large molecule APIs and intermediates. For more information, visit www.AjiBio-Pharma.com.

In addition, Ajinomoto Co. and Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services offer a broad range of innovative platform technologies and capabilities for pre-clinical and pilot programs to commercial quantities, including AJIPHASE oligonucleotide manufacturing technology, CORYNEX and TALAMAX protein expression systems, AJICAP site-specific conjugation and linker technologies for ADCs, continuous flow manufacturing and more. For more information, visit https://ajibio-pharma.ajinomoto.com/.

Founded in 1994, Exelixis, Inc. is a commercially successful, oncology-focused biotechnology company that strives to accelerate the discovery, development, and commercialization of new medicines for difficult-to-treat cancers. Following early work in model system genetics, Exelixis established a broad drug discovery and development platform that has served as the foundation for our continued efforts to bring new cancer therapies to patients in need. Exelixis’ discovery efforts have resulted in four commercially available products, CABOMETYX (cabozantinib), COMETRIQ (cabozantinib), COTELLIC (cobimetinib), and MINNEBRO (esaxerenone), and Exelixis has entered into partnerships with leading pharmaceutical companies to bring these important medicines to patients worldwide. Supported by revenues from marketed products and collaborations, Exelixis is committed to prudently reinvesting in our business to maximize the potential of our pipeline. Exelixis is supplementing existing therapeutic assets with targeted business development activities and internal drug discovery — all to deliver the next generation of Exelixis medicines and help patients recover stronger and live longer. Exelixis is a member of the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) MidCap 400 index, which measures the performance of profitable mid-sized companies. For more information, visit www.exelixis.com.