Sutro Biopharma and Ipsen Reveal $900M Licensing Deal for STRO-003 ADC

On April 1, 2024, the American company Sutro Biopharma, listed on NASDAQ, and the well-known French pharmaceutical company Ipsen, formalized a global exclusive licensing agreement. This significant deal pertains to Sutro's experimental Antibody-Drug Conjugate (ADC), STRO-003. In the agreement, Ipsen commits to an upfront payment of $90 million to Sutro, with the potential for up to $900 million in additional milestone payments. This partnership marks Ipsen's first extensive foray into the ADC field.

STRO-003 is a cutting-edge ADC targeting Receptor Tyrosine Kinase-Like Orphan Receptor 1 (ROR1). This candidate employs exatecan (iexabepilone) as its payload, connected via a β-glucuronidase-cleavable linker. Beyond STRO-003, Sutro is advancing other ADC candidates, including those targeting FRa and CD74, which are in clinical development. Additionally, Sutro has a TF-targeting ADC in preclinical stages. The company is also in partnership with Astellas to develop immunostimulatory ADCs (iADCs), currently in preclinical research phases.

In the ROR1 ADC realm, other prominent candidates have emerged. Notable among them are CS5001 from LegoChem in collaboration with Cornerstone, Zilovertamab Vedotin (MK-2140) from the partnership between Merck and VelosBio, a bispecific ADC from Bolt Biotherapeutics, and NBE-002 from the collaboration between BI and NBE Therapeutics. Recent clinical findings from Cornerstone on CS5001 indicate it has shown significant anti-tumor activity and a favorable safety profile across various types of solid tumors and blood cancers.

This transaction not only underscores the tremendous potential of ADC technology in targeted cancer treatments but also illuminates the vigorous competition among global pharmaceutical firms in this domain. A detailed examination of the current clinical and market dynamics surrounding ROR1 ADCs will enhance our comprehension of the evolving trends in the development of innovative therapies.