Antares & Novartis: A Major Oncology Drug Collaboration

Boston-based biotechnology company Antares Therapeutics has announced a major strategic collaboration with Novartis. 

The partnership aims to discover, develop and commercialise small-molecule therapies directed at oncology targets that have historically been considered "undruggable". 

This multi-target collaboration is designed to leverage Antares' proprietary discovery engine to generate highly selective medicines for cancer and other serious diseases.

The agreement highlights the productivity and scope of Antares' discovery capabilities. The company has a track record of successfully delivering development candidates for targets long considered intractable.

Through this joint effort, the two organisations intend to combine their unique strengths to address significant unmet medical needs.

Financial terms and project responsibilities

Under the established terms of the agreement, Antares will receive an initial upfront payment of US$105m. 

Additionally, the biotechnology firm is eligible to obtain up to US$1.8bn in further payments across the programmes. 

These potential financial milestones are tied to option exercises, development progress, regulatory achievements and commercial successes. 

Antares will also be entitled to receive tiered royalties on global net sales, extending up to the low double-digit range.

In terms of operational responsibilities, Antares is set to lead all research activities. The company will utilise its proprietary discovery engine on a limited number of historically undruggable targets up until option exercise. 

While working on this collaboration, Antares will simultaneously continue to progress its own wholly owned and partnered portfolio of precision medicines for cancer and other serious diseases.

Adam Friedman, Chief Executive Officer of Antares, says: “From the outset, our goal has been to build a discovery engine that systematically unlocks high-value, challenging targets and delivers first-in-class precision medicines.

“This collaboration lets us scale that engine alongside Novartis’ world-class development capabilities and global reach, so we can translate our science into transformative therapies for patients faster than either of us could alone.

“It builds on the work of a team that has consistently produced highly selective medicines against some of the hardest targets in drug discovery.”

Combining technology and global scale

The collaboration unites the technical expertise of Antares with the extensive resources of Novartis. 

Antares brings specialised capabilities in covalent drug discovery, including proprietary screening libraries, chemical proteomics, structure-driven computational chemistry, and a machine-learning suite purpose-built for compelling first-in-class targets. 

Novartis contributes its world-class research and development infrastructure alongside a vast global reach.

Fiona Marshall, President of Biomedical Research at Novartis, says: “Novartis is committed to advancing innovative approaches to cancer drug discovery and expanding the boundaries of what’s possible in oncology treatment.

“Many of the most compelling targets today in oncology have historically been considered 'undruggable'.

“We believe this collaboration has the potential to unlock a new wave of targeted therapies and bring meaningful advances to patients.”

Advancing the precision medicine pipeline

Antares Therapeutics focuses on creating transformational, first-in-class precision medicines with a spotlight on validated, undruggable targets in cancer and other serious diseases with large unmet need. 

The proprietary discovery engine underpins a growing selection of therapies designed to treat these conditions.

Looking ahead, the company's lead precision oncology programme is expected to enter the clinic in 2026. Alongside this lead candidate, Antares is actively progressing multiple additional programmes that currently remain in preclinical development. 

The new alliance with Novartis runs in parallel with these independent efforts, allowing Antares to continue advancing its wholly owned and partnered portfolio.