CFO, Tone Kvåle, told us Nordic will contribute “the antibody targeting a specific antigen on the surface of leukaemia cells and expertise in its chemistry and manufacture, as well as development expertise for targeted therapeutics should a suitable candidate ADC be developed.
"Heidelberg Pharma (HP) brings its complementary technologies for creating ADCs through conjugation of tumour cell killing payloads to tumour targeting antibodies," he added, explaining that these capabilities were the primary motivation for the deal.
Kvåle declined to share details of either the antibody or the small molecule payload to which it will be attached.
Strategic plan
The deal is part of Nordic’s wider strategic effort to expand its business beyond its core portfolio of radionuclide-based cancer medications.
The Norway-based drug firm recently signed another ADC-focused agreement, partnering with South Korean firm LegoChem. The agreement will also focus on the development of ADC treatments for leukaemias.
Kvåle told us “diversification of the portfolio is a strategic aim for NN, whereby its expertise is leveraged alongside complementary expertise from partners to create new targeted therapies for haematological cancers.
He cited both the ADC deal withLegoChem and Nordic’s antibody radionuclide conjugate (ARC) focused agreements withthe Paul Scherrer Institute and Areva Med as examples.