Contract development and manufacturing organisations (CDMOs) are facing mounting pressures to streamline production processes while adhering to increasingly stringent quality and sustainability standards, particularly when it comes to antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).
Specifically, there are issues with manufacturing expertise in payloads and linkers. A strategic partnership between industry leaders Indena and TCG GreenChem has been established to offer solutions.
ADCs are one of the fastest-growing segments in pharmaceutical innovation, combining the targeting capability of antibodies with potent therapeutic payloads. ADC approvals have risen to approximately 180 companies actively developing more than 1,170 ADC candidates by mid-2025, bringing tremendous opportunities. However, there are also significant challenges, particularly in manufacturing scalability, speed, and potency handling.
Combining strengths and accelerating solutions
Indena has more than three decades of experience in high-potency active pharmaceutical ingredients (HPAPI) production, distinguished by its capabilities in plant extraction, semi-synthesis, and precision fermentation. The Italy-based company excels in managing highly potent compounds and payloads, leveraging innovative engineering control and expertise in high containment to ensure safety and quality.
Meanwhile, US-based TCG GreenChem is globally recognised for its work in linkers, alongside green chemistry, catalysis, biocatalysis, and flow chemistry – supporting the pharmaceutical industry through innovative, sustainable, and client-centred services.
By merging complementary strengths, the partnership can deliver faster and more efficient development processes, reducing the notoriously lengthy timelines associated with ADCs production – notably for payload-linkers.
“TCG has access to very innovative technology,” says Bernard Vianes, global director of CDMO services at Indena. “Flow chemistry can be really useful for making linkers, bringing a new approach to their manufacture. There’s a huge need for very specialised companies capable of this level of innovation.”
“We are experts in linker technology and non-potent chemistry. Our collaboration with Indena allows us to bridge the gap, delivering end-to-end solutions,” adds Chris Senanayake, Founder, CEO, and CSO of TCG GreenChem Inc. “This means we can handle complex development challenges by harnessing Indena’s HPAPI expertise alongside our own strengths.”
This new partnership also offers market access benefits, enhancing Indena and TCG GreenChem’s presence in Europe and the US – two critical markets for pharmaceutical innovation and manufacturing. “For pharmaceutical clients, this means simplified supply chains, reduced costs, and an accelerated pathway from laboratory innovation to market-ready medicines,” adds Joe Armstrong, Chief Marketing Officer of TCG GreenChem Inc.
Payload-linker innovations in ADCs
The strategic partnership aims to pioneer advanced payload-linker combinations for ADCs, integrating TCG GreenChem’s ‘First-Time-Right with a Line of Sight’ methodologies as a proven approach to ensure precision from the outset. With a team of 85 staff – 60 of whom hold PhDs – TCG GreenChem’s expertise in catalytic chemistry, flow chemistry, and crystal engineering drives innovation and accelerates development timelines.
“This collaboration could decrease the traditional 18-month timeline from clinical candidate nomination to Phase 1 trials down to just 12 months, saving a critical third of development time,” says Gopal Sirasani, vice-president and head of business development at TCG GreenChem.
The initial focus of this strategic cooperation is a novel payload-linker combination specifically designed to showcase the strengths of this integrated approach.
“This partnership not only facilitates quicker pathways to clinical trials but also ensures higher standards in sustainability and safety, key factors for pharmaceutical manufacturers today,” says Daniele Giavini, managing director at Indena.
TCG GreenChem’s environmentally conscious approach incorporates green chemistry principles such as catalysis and flow chemistry, reducing waste and energy consumption. Such sustainability initiatives are increasingly vital as global pharmaceutical demand continues to surge alongside environmental accountability expectations. Crucially, the capacity of the partnership to accelerate timelines also helps to decrease resources and costs to further enhance the sustainability profile.
The future of ADCs manufacturing
Traditionally, pharmaceutical companies navigating the complexities of ADC manufacturing must collaborate with multiple partners, each handling different aspects, from payload synthesis to linker technology. The Indena-TCG GreenChem partnership provides a cohesive, integrated service capable of addressing both potent and non-potent compound challenges within a unified framework. Typically, the biggest gap in developing a manufacturing process for ADC is the technical transfer from clinical supplies to commercialisation due to the many handoffs and redesign of chemistries and techniques that are not available for many suppliers.
In addition to overcoming existing challenges, the collaboration between Indena and TCG GreenChem is setting a new standard for pharmaceutical manufacturing, one that’s fast, sustainable, and reliably precise. As ADCs development continues on the upward trajectory, strategic partnerships such as this will play a key role in the future of pharmaceutical manufacturing and ultimately benefit patients worldwide.
To learn more about Indena’s CDMO services, download the document below.
