C4 Therapeutics announced on Thursday that it has entered into a research and development agreement with Swiss drugmaker Roche to advance a new type of cancer treatment, a deal that could exceed $1 billion in total value.
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- The companies will collaborate on two programs aimed at developing degrader-antibody conjugates (DACs) targeting undisclosed oncology pathways covered under the agreement.
- Degrader-antibody conjugates represent an emerging class of cancer therapies that combine the precision of antibody-drug conjugates with targeted protein degradation technology, offering a novel approach to treatment.
- Under the terms of the deal, Roche will take the lead in advancing DAC candidates through preclinical research, clinical development, and eventual commercialization.
- C4 Therapeutics will receive an upfront payment of $20 million for the two initial programs. If Roche chooses to exercise its option to pursue a third target, C4 Therapeutics will be entitled to an additional payment.
- Beyond the upfront funding, C4 Therapeutics is eligible to earn more than $1 billion in potential discovery, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments, along with tiered royalties on any future product sales.
- This agreement represents the third collaboration between the two companies, further strengthening a partnership that originally began in 2016.
