Lilly and Zymeworks expand partnership to include cancer studies

Lilly and Zymeworks have announced an expansion of their existing licensing and collaboration agreement to include the development of potential new cancer therapies.

Focusing on the development of novel bispecific antibody therapeutics using Zymeworks' proprietary Azymetric platform, the partnership is now being extended to include development of several immunomodulatory antibodies against multiple targets.

This new agreement could add $375 million (234.31 million pounds) in milestones payments and other fees to the total value of the partnership, while paving the way for the creation of innovative cancer immunotherapies.

Bispecific antibodies have the potential to provide improved outcomes for patients by simultaneously targeting two proteins, resulting in additive or synergistic responses.

Sue Mahony, senior vice-president and president of Lilly's oncology division, said: "There are many targets involved in the controlled activation and redirection of the immune system and we know that immunotherapies will not be a one-size-fits-all treatment."

This comes after the firm agreed a new cancer discovery and development collaboration with Immunocore earlier this year, as well as a deal to create companion diagnostic tests alongside Qiagen.