GSK acquires Syndivia’s preclinical ADC for prostate cancer in US$357M deal

UK—GSK has secured the global rights to Syndivia’s preclinical antibody drug conjugate (ADC)  for treatment of  prostate cancer, generating significant interest in this promising anti-tumor approach.

The British pharmaceutical giant GSK agreed to pay £268 million (US$357.37 million) to the French biotech company, which includes an upfront fee and future development and commercial milestones.

This technology allows for the creation of unique ADCs with a precise drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR) by targeting specific hinge region sites.

In preclinical tests, this unnamed ADC demonstrated the ability to shrink tumors effectively while avoiding a corresponding increase in serious side effects.

Although ADCs have become more widely used, toxicity concerns have limited their broader application.

 Many pharmaceutical companies aim for more targeted methods to reduce harmful side effects.

According to GSK, Syndivia’s ADC has the potential to deliver treatment directly to tumors, offering a more accessible option for patients in community practice settings, particularly those suffering from metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

Each year, about 1.4 million men worldwide receive a prostate cancer diagnosis, and nearly 20% of these cases progress to advanced, metastatic, and castration-resistant disease within five years.

Despite the challenges of treating mCRPC, progress continues.

A notable advancement includes Novartis’ Pluvicto, a radioligand therapy approved for slowing the progression of PSMA-positive metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC).

This was highlighted at the 2025 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress in Berlin.

GSK emphasized that treatment options for mCRPC remain limited.

The current standard therapies are not only difficult to access in community healthcare settings but often have poor tolerability and show only modest effectiveness.

GSK is further expanding its prostate cancer portfolio with its own ADC candidate, GSK’227, which is currently in a Phase II trial conducted in partnership with Hansoh Pharmaceuticals.

Hesham Abdullah, GSK’s global head of oncology, pointed out that prostate cancer represents a major health challenge.

He noted that this ADC addition enhances GSK’s expanding portfolio and expertise in tumour-targeted technologies, including GSK’227, their B7-H3-targeting ADC.

The ADC field has attracted significant investment as pharmaceutical companies seek to strengthen their pipelines with this emerging treatment modality.

For example, Pfizer acquired Seagen for US$43 billion in December 2023.

 Similarly, MSD and AbbVie completed deals worth US$10.8 billion and US$10.1 billion, respectively, in recent years.

While the pace of massive deals has slowed, notable agreements continue.

In January 2025, Boehringer Ingelheim signed a US$1.3 billion licensing agreement with Synaffix for ADC technology covering several undisclosed targets.

In March, Taiho Pharmaceutical agreed to acquire Switzerland-based ADC specialist Araris Biotech for up to US$1.14 billion.

Roche also completed three ADC deals this year, including a March agreement with Oxford BioTherapeutics that could total over US$1 billion.

Sign up HERE to receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa and beyond. Also, follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.