On September 9, 2026 Adagene Inc. ("Adagene") (Nasdaq: ADAG), a platform-driven, clinical-stage biotechnology company transforming the discovery and development of novel antibody-based therapies, reported the achievement of a milestone in its ongoing collaboration and license agreement with Exelixis, Inc. ("Exelixis").
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The milestone achievement is related to a preclinical milestone event for XB404 and resulted in a $2.0 million milestone payment from Exelixis. XB404, built with Adagene’s SAFEbody masking technology, is designed to deliver a cytotoxic payload to ROR1/2-expressing tumors while minimizing on-target, off-tumor side effects. An additional payment to Adagene was triggered by the selection of candidates for another SAFEbody antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) program. Exelixis has the right to utilize Adagene’s SAFEbody technology platform to generate masked monoclonal antibodies for the development of masked ADC candidates.
Adagene is eligible to receive development and commercialization milestones and royalties on net sales of products developed.
(Press release, Adagene, SEP 9, 2026, View Source [SID1234670664])