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Lonza and Engitix Announce License Agreement to Advance Targeted ADC Development
- Lonza grants Engitix target-specific license for GlycoConnect®, HydraSpace® and SYNtecan E™ linker-payload technologies for ADC development
- Collaboration enables innovative treatments by combining Lonza’s validated ADC technology platform with Engitix’s cutting-edge science
- Agreement advances new therapies through Engitix’s unique focus on the extracellular matrix (ECM)
BASEL, Switzerland and LONDON, July 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lonza, the world's leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), and Engitix, a global leader in ECM-based drug discovery and development, today announced a licensing agreement to advance the development of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and deliver life-changing therapies for patients with chronic diseases.
Under the agreement, Engitix will access Lonza’s ADC technology platform through a single-target license, including the use of SYNtecan E™ linker-payload and complementary GlycoConnect® and HydraSpace®. These technologies will support Engitix’s goal to develop and commercialize therapies. Lonza, through one of its affiliated companies, is eligible to receive upfront, clinical, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments, plus royalties on net sales of resulting products. Lonza is responsible for manufacturing components that are related to its proprietary technologies, and Engitix is responsible for the research, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of the ADCs.
Engitix has developed a proprietary human ECM platform that allows the study of disease biology directly in human tissue. This approach focuses on targets within the ECM itself, offering a differentiated pathway compared to traditional methods that focus on cell surface targets.
The collaboration enables Engitix to leverage Lonza’s established ADC technology platform to develop differentiated therapeutic candidates designed to selectively deliver potent payloads to tumor-selective targets identified through Engitix's proprietary human ECM discovery platform.
Jan Vertommen, Vice President of Commercial Development, Advanced Synthesis, Lonza, commented: "We are pleased to collaborate with Engitix on this innovative program. By combining our ADC development and manufacturing expertise with Engitix’s unique ECM-based discovery platform, we aim to advance next-generation ADCs and unlock new possibilities in targeted therapies for patients."
Dr. Giuseppe Mazza, CEO and Co-Founder, Engitix, added: "At Engitix, we are committed to translating our unique understanding of the disease microenvironment into transformative therapies for patients with high unmet medical need. Licensing Lonza’s clinically validated conjugation and linker-payload technologies provides us with a powerful toolkit to develop next-generation ECM-targeted therapeutics with the potential for enhanced efficacy, reduced toxicity and improved therapeutic index."
The license agreement represents an important step in Engitix's strategy to build a diversified pipeline of precision therapeutics addressing fibrosis, oncology, and other diseases driven by pathological tissue remodeling.
Lonza Contact Details
media@lonza.com
About Lonza
Lonza is the world’s leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) dedicated to serving the healthcare industry. Working across five continents, Lonza’s global team of approximately 20,000 colleagues works alongside pharma and biotech companies to turn their breakthrough innovations into viable therapies. This enables customers to bring life-saving and life-enhancing treatments to patients worldwide with a combination of cutting-edge science, smart technology, and lean manufacturing.
Our company generated sales of CHF 6.5 billion with a CORE EBITDA of CHF 2.1 billion in Full-Year 2025.
Find out more at www.lonza.com.
Media Contacts for Engitix
Sue Charles, Charles Consultants | +44 7968 726585 | sue@charles-consultants.com
Leyla Karabekmez, Charles Consultants | +44 7549 078744 | leylaccls@outlook.com
At the company
Giuseppe Mazza, CEO: giuseppe.mazza@engitix.com
About Engitix
Engitix is a biotechnology company developing first-in-class therapeutics by leveraging its proprietary human extracellular matrix (ECM) platform to identify and validate novel targets associated with fibrosis, cancer, and other chronic diseases. The company's integrated discovery capabilities combine human disease biology, advanced tissue models, and translational science to accelerate the development of innovative medicines for patients with significant unmet needs.
For more information, visit engitix.com.
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Disclaimer
Certain matters discussed in this media advisory may constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations and estimates of Lonza Group Ltd, although Lonza Group Ltd can give no assurance that these expectations and estimates will be achieved. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainty and are qualified in their entirety. The actual results may differ materially in the future from the forward-looking statements included in this news release due to various factors. Furthermore, except as otherwise required by law, Lonza Group Ltd disclaims any intention or obligation to update the statements contained in this media advisory.
