Biocytogen and Whitehawk Therapeutics Enter Global Collaboration for Bispecific Antibody ADC Development
7.7.2026 15:00:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
Biocytogen (SSE: 688796; HKEX: 02315) and Whitehawk Therapeutics, Inc. (“Whitehawk,” Nasdaq: WHWK) today announced a global collaboration to develop bispecific antibody-drug conjugates (BsADC). Biocytogen will provide access to up to five bispecific antibodies using its proprietary RenLite® platform, and Whitehawk will evaluate these in combination with its ADC linker-payload platform technologies. Whitehawk then has the option to advance any resulting BsADC candidates as part of its pipeline.
Based on a common light-chain design, RenLite® supports the discovery, screening, and optimization of fully human bispecific antibodies across diverse target combinations, while reducing the risk of light-chain mispairing and providing a robust molecular foundation for subsequent BsADC development. By bringing together the complementary capabilities of Biocytogen and Whitehawk, the collaboration aims to identify BsADC candidates with differentiated targeting profiles and therapeutic potential.
“Whitehawk has established strong expertise in ADC technology and oncology drug development,” said Dr. Yuelei Shen, President and CEO of Biocytogen. “This collaboration further expands the application of Biocytogen’s fully human bispecific antibodies in ADC development. We look forward to supporting the efficient advancement of multiple programs by contributing high-quality antibody molecules and integrated research capabilities to identify differentiated therapeutic candidates and ultimately bringing new treatment options to patients with cancer.”
“Bispecific antibodies are a promising approach to broadening our targeting strategies, and Biocytogen’s established platform provides a robust framework for exploring this modality in combination with our ADC platform,” said Dave Lennon, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Whitehawk Therapeutics. “We are excited about the potential of this collaboration to expand our pipeline opportunities and support our ambition to deliver new ADC INDs in the next 12-24 months.”
Under the financial terms of the agreement, Biocytogen will receive an upfront payment and is eligible for development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments, as well as low single-digit royalties on net sales. Additional financial terms were not disclosed. If Whitehawk exercises its option to advance any resulting BsADC candidates, Whitehawk will hold global rights and full program control of the BsADCs.
About Biocytogen
Biocytogen (SSE: 688796; HKEX: 02315) is a global biotechnology company that drives the research and development of novel antibody-based drugs with innovative technologies. Founded on gene editing technology, Biocytogen has established a dual-engine platform combining a fully human antibody library with an extensive target-humanized mouse model portfolio, enabling a systematic approach to accelerating global drug discovery and development.
Biocytogen has independently developed its proprietary RenMice® (RenMab®/RenLite®/RenNano®/RenTCR™/RenTCR mimic™) platforms for fully human monoclonal/bispecific/multispecific antibody discovery, bispecific antibody-drug conjugate discovery, hu-VHH discovery, and TCR mimic antibody discovery, and has established a sub-brand, RenSuper™ Biologics, to explore global partnerships for an off-the-shelf library of >1,000,000 fully human antibody sequences against over 1000 targets for worldwide collaboration. As of December 31, 2025, more than 350 agreements for therapeutic antibodies and clinical assets—spanning co-development, out-licensing, and transfers—have been established globally, including landmark partnerships with leading multinational pharmaceutical companies (MNCs). Biocytogen pioneered the generation of drug target knock-in humanized models for preclinical research and currently provides a few thousand off-the-shelf animal and cell models under the company's sub-brand, BioMice™, along with preclinical pharmacology and gene-editing services for clients worldwide. Headquartered in Beijing, Biocytogen has branches in China (Haimen, Jiangsu, Shanghai), the USA (Boston, San Francisco, San Diego), and Germany (Heidelberg). For more information, please visit https://biocytogen.com.
About Whitehawk Therapeutics
Whitehawk Therapeutics is a clinical-stage oncology therapeutics company applying advanced technologies to established tumor biology to efficiently deliver improved cancer treatments. Whitehawk's portfolio includes HWK-007, HWK-016 and HWK-206, ADCs engineered to overcome the limitations of first-generation predecessors to deliver a meaningful impact for patients with difficult-to-treat cancers. These assets are in-licensed from WuXi Biologics under an exclusive development and global commercialization agreement.
Whitehawk's underlying ADC platform leverages CPT113 as the core linker-payload technology, enhanced with its proprietary Carbon Bridge Cysteine Re-pairing (CBCR) bioconjugation process to support improved stability and therapeutic index. Whitehawk has an option agreement with Hangzhou DAC for access to CPT113 for use in up to five additional ADC programs. More information on the Company is available at www.whitehawktx.com and connect with us on LinkedIn.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260707551767/en/
Contacts
Biocytogen Contacts
Antibody assets and platforms: BD-Licensing@biocytogen.com
Media: pr@biocytogen.com.cn
Whitehawk Contact
IR@whitehawktx.com
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