On August 3, 2026 FUJIFILM Corporation (President and CEO, Representative Director: Teiichi Goto) and Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (President and Representative Director: Masayuki Kobayashi) reported that they have entered into a strategic partnership agreement for the development of manufacturing technologies for next-generation antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).
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Under this partnership, the two companies will work to optimize manufacturing processes for ADC candidates being developed by Taiho Pharmaceutical using the AraLinQ technology of Araris Biotech AG ("Araris"), a subsidiary of Taiho Pharmaceutical. By combining Taiho Pharmaceutical’s expertise and capabilities in ADC drug discovery with Fujifilm’s process development and manufacturing technologies cultivated through its biologics CDMO※ business, the companies aim to achieve stable production of high-quality ADCs and enhance their global competitiveness in the next-generation ADC field.
In recent years, ADCs, which combine antibodies with cytotoxic agents and other payloads, have attracted significant attention as next-generation biopharmaceuticals capable of achieving both high therapeutic efficacy and reduced side effects. As a result, research and development activities in this field have been expanding rapidly worldwide. At the same time, ADC manufacturing requires highly sophisticated technologies, including the precise conjugation of antibodies and payloads. Therefore, establishing manufacturing capabilities that can consistently and efficiently produce high quality ADCs has become a critical industry challenge.
Taiho Pharmaceutical is committed to strengthen optimal manufacturing and supply systems for next-generation ADCs created using AraLinQ technology. AraLinQ is a proprietary ADC platform technology that enables the selective and homogeneous conjugation of payloads to antibodies and is expected to serve as a key technology for the development of next-generation ADCs.
Fujifilm operates its biologics CDMO business globally and has extensive experience and a proven track record in the process development and manufacturing of antibody therapeutics. Its group company, FUJIFILM Toyama Chemical, plans to launch Japan’s first integrated ADC CDMO service in 2027 and is building a manufacturing framework capable of providing end-to-end ADC production services in Japan, from antibody production and conjugation to final drug product manufacturing.
Going forward, Taiho Pharmaceutical and Fujifilm will leverage their respective strengths under this partnership to optimize manufacturing processes for the stable production of high-quality ADCs. In addition, as development of the target ADC candidates progresses, the companies plan to expand their technical collaboration and strengthen manufacturing technology platforms and frameworks that support sustainable supply.
※Contract Development & Manufacturing Organization. Provides a wide range of services to pharmaceutical companies, including process development, stability testing, clinical drug development and manufacturing, and commercial production.
Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs)
ADCs are medicines that combine antibodies capable of recognizing specific target cells with payloads such as cytotoxic agents. By selectively delivering the payload to target cells through the antibody, ADCs are expected to achieve both high therapeutic efficacy and reduced side effects. As a result, they are being actively developed worldwide as next-generation biopharmaceuticals.
(Press release, Taiho, AUG 3, 2026, View Source [SID1234669615])