Astellas Pharma has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Evopoint Biosciences for XNW27011, a Claudin18.2 (CLDN18.2)-targeting clinical-stage antibody-drug conjugate (ADC).

Astellas will pay Evopoint $130m upfront and up to $70m in near-term payments along with development, commercialisation and regulatory milestone payments totalling up to $1.34bn, and royalties on the ADC’s net sales if approved.

Astellas will be granted the global licence to develop and commercialise the ADC, excluding mainland China, Macao, Hong Kong and the Taiwan region.

The ADC is being assessed in an ongoing Phase I/II trial in China for individuals with solid tumours, including gastroesophageal, pancreatic and gastric cancers.

It utilises a topoisomerase I inhibitor payload and linker technology, an approach leveraged in other cancer treatments.

Astellas’ Vyloy, which is also a CLDN18.2-targeted therapy, secured US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in October 2024.

The addition of XNW27011 is expected to enhance the oncology pipeline of Astellas, which includes various CLDN-targeting therapies and ADCs for other cancer targets.

Astellas chief strategy officer Adam Pearson stated: “Astellas is dedicated to advancing innovative therapies for some of the most challenging-to-treat cancers, such as gastric and pancreatic cancer.

“XNW27011 is a promising new asset that complements Astellas’ pipeline and enhances our leading position in precision oncology. We look forward to harnessing our expertise in targeting CLDN18.2 and specialised knowledge in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers to advance XNW27011 and deliver meaningful outcomes to patients.”

Evopoint Biosciences, with offerings in research and development and commercialisation, focuses on oncology, metabolic and infectious diseases.

This latest agreement follows Astellas Pharma's April 2025 strategic partnership with the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research to advance translational and clinical oncology research.