Adimab expanded its existing research collaborations with Merck and Lilly. The latest agreement provides Merck access to Adimab’s technology to discover and optimize fully human antibody candidates, including potentially bispecific antibody candidates, across all disease areas. Adimab scientists will discover therapeutic antibody candidates to multiple targets nominated by Merck over a three-year period. Adimab initially partnered with Merck in June 2009 when it first launched its antibody discovery platform.

Adimab also broadened its agreement with Lilly to include the discovery and optimization of multiple bispecific antibodies targeting molecular targets identified by Lilly. Adimab first collaborated with Lilly in December 2010, whereby Adimab used its discovery platform to identify fully human antibodies against two targets selected by Lilly. For each target, the agreement granted Lilly the right to research antibodies generated from the collaboration for potential use as therapeutic products.

According to the agreements with Merck, acting through a subsidiary, and Lilly, Adimab will receive up-front payments and is eligible to receive preclinical and clinical development milestone payments as well as royalties on product sales.

Over the past three years, Adimab has established collaborations with Merck, Roche, Novartis, Pfizer, Eli Lilly, Genentech, Biogen Idec, Novo Nordisk, Gilead, and Kyowa Hakko Kirin.

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