Artificial intelligence research biotech Earendil Labs has penned a $885 million deal to use WuXi XDC’s linker-payload technology to create next-gen antibody-drug conjugates.
WuXi XDC spun off from WuXi Biologics in 2023 in order to focus on a one-stop bioconjugate platform and end-to-end contract research, development and manufacturing organization (CRDMO) services. This morning’s deal sees U.S.-based Earendil receive an exclusive license to use the WuXiTecan-2 payload-linker technology platform to develop ADCs against a number of specified targets.
WuXi XDC will also use its CRDMO platform to assist with manufacturing the ADC components, according to the Feb. 27 release.
In return, WuXi XDC will be in line for a combined total of $885 million in upfront and milestone payments—although the companies didn’t offer a breakdown of the financials. WuXi XDC will also receive tiered royalties on net sales of any resulting ADCs.
Earendil touts itself as a “global leader in AI-driven research and development of next-generation biologics therapeutics.” The drug developer has described itself as affiliated with Helixon Therapeutics, a company that, like Earendil, claims to harness machine learning for protein therapy design.
The biotech’s lead asset is HXN-1001, an anti-TL1A antibody in phase 1 development the company is eyeing as a potential treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. When it comes to ADCs specifically, Earendil’s preclinical pipeline includes a CEACAM5/CDH17-targeted bispecific for colorectal cancer as well as a TROP2/PDL1-targeted bispecific for solid tumors.
Sanofi has penned a pair of pacts with Earendil over the past two years that could be worth a combined total of more than $4 billion in biobucks to work on bispecific autoimmune and inflammatory disease programs.
Earendil’s president and co-CEO Zhenping Zhu, M.D., Ph.D., said in this morning’s release that the biotech is working on a “rich pipeline” of bispecific and multispecific ADCs.
“We believe WuXiTecan-2 payload-linker technology will significantly enhance the success rate and speed of our novel ADC development, ultimately bringing these potentially life-transforming treatments to patients worldwide as soon as possible,” Zhu explained.
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WuXi XDC’s CEO Jimmy Li, Ph.D., said the idea behind today’s deal is to combine Earendil’s bispecifics with the WuXiTecan-2 tech to “develop more effective and safer next-generation ADCs.”
“We look forward to supporting Earendil Labs in accelerating the R&D and commercialization of their ADCs through our integrated, end-to-end CRDMO service platform, ultimately benefiting patients worldwide,” Li added.
Earendil is just the latest biotech with ADC ambitions that have benefited WuXi XDC. A year ago, the Hong Kong-listed company partly credited a 90% spike in growth over the course of 2024 to customer projects in both ADCs and the broader bioconjugation scene. At the time, WuXi XDC noted that 13 of the top 20 global pharmaceutical companies by 2023 revenue have partnered with the contractor on projects at various stages.
