Astellas Pharma and Evopoint Biosciences entered an exclusive license agreement for XNW27011, an investigational clinical-stage antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting CLDN18.2. Astellas gains worldwide exclusive license to develop and commercialize XNW27011 (excluding China’s mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan region).

Evopoint will receive a $130 million upfront and is eligible to receive up to $70 million near-term payments, and additional milestones associated with development, regulatory and commercialization totaling up to $1.34 billion, as well as royalties on sales of XNW27011, if approved.

XNW27011 is being evaluated in a Phase 1/2 study in China in patients with CLDN18.2-expressing solid tumors, including gastric cancer, gastroesophageal cancer and pancreatic cancer. It uses a topoisomerase I inhibitor payload and linker technology, an approach that has demonstrated clinical success in other approved cancer therapies.

Astellas has significant expertise in developing therapies that target CLDN18.2, including VYLOYTM, the first CLDN18.2-targeted therapy approved. XNW27011 expands Astellas’ oncology pipeline which currently contains CLDN-targeting therapies utilizing different approaches, as well as ADC’s directed to other targets.

“Astellas is dedicated to advancing innovative therapies for some of the most challenging-to-treat cancers, such as gastric and pancreatic cancer. XNW27011 is a promising new asset that complements Astellas’ pipeline and enhances our leading position in precision oncology,” said Adam Pearson, Chief Strategy Officer, Astellas. “We look forward to harnessing our expertise in targeting CLDN18.2 and specialized knowledge in GI cancers to advance XNW27011 and deliver meaningful outcomes to patients.”