Glykos Finland Oy

June 17, 2025 I Orion Corporation and Glykos Finland Oy today announced that they have extended their research collaboration and licensing agreement for the development of next-generation antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). Under the extended agreement, Orion gains access to Glykos’ proprietary ADC technologies with the potential to expand into three additional programs in the future, in addition to the three ADC programs outlined in the previous agreement. Orion will be responsible for the target selection, research, development, and commercialization of up to three next-generation ADCs, with a focus on solid tumors. The financial terms of the extended agreement for the three new ADC projects are the same as in the original agreement for the first three projects. Glykos is entitled to milestone payments related to the development of the ADCs and product sales. Glykos is also entitled to receive royalties from the commercial sales generated by the three ADC programs. “This successful collaboration with Glykos allows us to continue leveraging their advanced ADC technology and underscores our commitment to developing new treatment options for cancer patients,” said Professor Outi Vaarala , Executive Vice President, Innovative Medicines and Research & Development at Orion. “The extension of our agreement with Orion highlights the potential of our ADC technology. We are excited to expand our collaboration with Orion, whose expertise in cancer therapies and strong clinical development capabilities are crucial for bringing new, effective treatments to cancer patients,” said Juhani Saarinen , CEO of Glykos. About Orion Orion is a globally operating Nordic pharmaceutical company – a builder of well-being for over a hundred years. We develop, manufacture and market human and veterinary pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients. Orion has an extensive portfolio of proprietary and generic medicines and consumer health products. The core therapy areas of our pharmaceutical R&D are oncology and pain. Proprietary products developed by Orion are used to treat cancer, neurological diseases and respiratory diseases, among others. In 2024 Orion’s net sales amounted to EUR 1,542 million and the company employed about 3,700 professionals worldwide, dedicated to building well-being. Orion’s A and B shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki About Glykos Glykos, focusing on antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), is dedicated to revolutionizing cancer treatment. Glykos’ proprietary hydrophilic payload and linker technology addresses ADC limitations, offering benefits of high efficacy, increased tolerability, excellent pharmacokinetics, and optimized conjugation with any monoclonal antibody. Focused on expanding the therapeutic index, we aim to extend survival and enhance the quality of life for cancer patients. For more information, please visit www.glykos.fi. SOURCE: Glykos

Pictured: Businessmen shaking hands after a deal/iStock, PeopleImages Finnish pharma Orion Corporation on Monday dropped approximately $415.6 million to buy a 25% stake in Korean biotech LegoChem Biosciences, according to local news outlet The Chosun Daily. The transaction, which LegoChem disclosed to investors through Monday’s regulatory filing, makes Orion the largest shareholder of the antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) developer. Orion carried the purchase out through a Hong Kong-based subsidiary and the companies expect to close the deal on March 29, according to The Chosun Daily. Once finalized, LegoChem will become part of Orion’s corporate family but will retain its current frameworks and management. LegoChem’s core technology—dubbed ConjuALL—gives its ADC therapies a “trinity of improved properties,” according to the biotech’s website. The platform allows for the stable conjugation of the payload at a specific site, overcoming the typically random attachment that is typical in other ADCs, the company contends. The platform also enables the cancer-selective activation of both the linker and the toxic payload. For Orion, the LegoChem transaction is part of its R&D refocusing efforts, first announced in March 2022, designed to steer the company toward cancer and pain—and away from neurodegenerative and rare diseases. At the time, Outi Vaarala, Orion’s senior vice president of R&D, said in a statement that “the idea is to focus investment in these areas and to develop treatments for patients as efficiently as possible, rather than making smaller investments in a larger number of research areas.” Since then, Orion has expanded its partnerships in the oncology space. Last week, it inked a research collaboration agreement with Glykos to develop next-generation ADCs targeting solid tumors. Orion is also partnered with MSD—the international name for Merck—for a candidate therapy for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Last week, the companies launched two pivotal Phase III studies under this agreement, evaluating the efficacy and safety of the investigational CYP11A1 inhibitor in combination with hormone replacement therapy. For LegoChem, Orion is the latest pharmaceutical company to take notice of its ADC. In December 2023, the Korean biotech announced that it signed a $1.7 billion license agreement with J&J’s subsidiary Janssen to develop an anti-Trop2 ADC. In December 2022, LegoChem also entered into a research and license pact with Amgen, which gave the pharma access to its proprietary platform to design, develop and potentially commercialize ADCs for up to five targets. Considering the upfront payment and all milestones under the deal, LegoChem is eligible to receive up to $1.25 billion plus royalties. Tristan Manalac is an independent science writer based in Metro Manila, Philippines. He can be reached at tristan@tristanmanalac.com or tristan.manalac@biospace.com.

January 08, 2024 I Orion Corporation and Glykos Finland Oy announced today that they have entered into a research collaboration and licensing agreement to develop next-generation antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). Under the agreement, Orion gains access to Glykos’ proprietary ADC technologies, initiating an ADC program with the potential for expansion into two additional programs in the future. Orion will be responsible for the target selection, research, development, and commercialization of up to three next-generation ADCs, with a focus on solid tumors. Glykos is eligible for milestone payments related to signing of the agreement, target selection and sales milestones. Glykos is also entitled to receive royalties on commercial sales generated from the three ADC programs. Outi Vaarala , Senior Vice President, Innovative Medicines and R&D, Orion, said: “Collaboration with Glykos and possibility to utilize their ADC technology complements nicely our research portfolio in oncology and is yet another demonstration of our will to develop new treatment options for cancer patients with unmet needs.” Juhani Saarinen, CEO of Glykos, said: "The acknowledgment of our ADC technology by an esteemed pharmaceutical company like Orion is a strong statement to the transformative potential of these technologies in enhancing the therapeutic index of ADCs. We look forward to partnering with Orion and believe that with their expertise on cancer therapies and robust clinical pipeline, this partnership can deliver innovative medicines for cancer patients.” About Orion Orion is a globally operating Finnish pharmaceutical company – a builder of well-being. We develop, manufacture and market human and veterinary pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients. Orion has an extensive portfolio of proprietary and generic medicines and self-care products. The core therapy areas of our pharmaceutical R&D are oncology and pain. Proprietary products developed by Orion are used to treat cancer, neurological diseases and respiratory diseases, among others. Orion's net sales in 2022 amounted to EUR 1,341 million and the company had about 3,500 employees at the end of the year. Orion's A and B shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki. About Glykos Glykos, focusing on antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), is dedicated to revolutionizing cancer treatment. Glykos' proprietary hydrophilic payload and linker technology addresses ADC limitations, offering benefits of high efficacy, increased tolerability, excellent pharmacokinetics, and optimized conjugation with any monoclonal antibody. Focused on expanding the therapeutic index, we aim to extend survival and enhance the quality of life for cancer patients. For more information, please visit www.glykos.fi. SOURCE: Glykos