Dren Bio Announces Strategic Collaboration with Novartis

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We are thrilled to share the news of a strategic collaboration between Dren Bio, one of our distinguished alumni, and Novartis to develop bispecific antibody therapies targeting cancer. This partnership, which builds on Dren Bio’s targeted myeloid engager and phagocytosis platform, includes an upfront payment of $150 million from Novartis, with $25 million as an equity investment.

The collaboration aims to leverage Dren Bio’s expertise in myeloid cell activation to discover and develop therapeutic bispecific antibodies for cancer treatment. As these candidates progress through clinical development, Dren Bio could earn up to $2.85 billion in milestone payments and tiered royalties. Novartis will oversee clinical development following the selection of candidates, bringing its extensive oncology expertise to the collaboration. This partnership represents a significant milestone for Dren Bio, marking their second major collaboration with a leading pharmaceutical company, following a previous deal with Pfizer.

MBC BioLabs is proud to have helped Dren Bio get started in 2020 at our 733 Industrial campus. Congratulations to the whole team and we can’t wait to see what you accomplish next.