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GSK licenses Halozyme Enhanze platform for subcutaneous ADCs

Edited by Robert McTiernan··3 min read

GSK (NYSE: GSK) has licensed Halozyme Therapeutics' (Nasdaq: HALO) Enhanze drug delivery platform for subcutaneous formulations of multiple oncology targets, including antibody-drug conjugates, in what marks the first time the enzyme-based technology has been applied to the ADC modality. The companies entered a global collaboration and license agreement announced May 7, with the first clinical trial projected to initiate in 2026. The agreement also includes an option for GSK to nominate additional future drug targets beyond the initial set.

Financial terms were not fully disclosed. GSK will make an upfront payment to Halozyme, along with potential development, regulatory, and sales-based milestone payments, plus royalties on net sales of products incorporating the Enhanze platform. Specific figures for the upfront fee, milestones, and royalty rates were not provided.

Deal context

Enhanze is built around rHuPH20, a recombinant human hyaluronidase enzyme that transiently degrades hyaluronan in the subcutaneous tissue, temporarily expanding the interstitial space to allow larger volumes of drug — typically up to 10 mL — to be absorbed via injection. The effect is reversible, with the subcutaneous matrix regenerating within approximately 24 to 48 hours. The mechanism enables co-formulation or co-administration of therapeutic biologics with rHuPH20, converting drugs that would otherwise require intravenous infusion into subcutaneous injectables that can be administered in minutes.

The platform has an established regulatory record, underpinning approved subcutaneous formulations including Darzalex Faspro (daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj), Phesgo (pertuzumab, trastuzumab, and hyaluronidase-zzxf), and Tecentriq Hybreza (atezolizumab and hyaluronidase-tqjs), among others. The GSK agreement extends the platform into ADC territory for the first time. ADCs are large, structurally complex molecules comprising a monoclonal antibody linked to a cytotoxic payload, and have historically been administered intravenously given their size and formulation requirements. The specific GSK ADC targets covered under the agreement were not named.

The companies have an existing relationship through ViiV Healthcare, the HIV-focused joint venture majority-owned by GSK, which signed an Enhanze collaboration with Halozyme in June 2021 covering four HIV targets with the goal of developing ultra-long-acting subcutaneous medicines, structured around a USD 40 million upfront payment and up to USD 175 million in milestones.

The oncology deal adds GSK to Halozyme's existing Enhanze licensee list, which includes Roche, Janssen, AbbVie, Pfizer, Bristol Myers Squibb, argenx, Eli Lilly, Takeda, Chugai Pharmaceutical, Acumen Pharmaceuticals, and Merus N.V. Halozyme states the platform has reached more than one million patients through 10 commercialized products across more than 100 markets.

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For GSK, the collaboration provides a formulation pathway for oncology assets — including ADC programs — that could reduce patient treatment burden by enabling subcutaneous rather than intravenous administration. The ADC space has expanded rapidly across the industry, with multiple programs in late-stage development or recently approved across tumor types. Subcutaneous delivery, if achievable for ADC formats, could affect how those drugs are administered in clinical and outpatient settings.

For Halozyme, the agreement extends the Enhanze platform into a modality where it has not previously operated commercially, and adds a major pharmaceutical partner in oncology. The company has characterized its royalty revenue model as high-margin and durable; adding ADC-linked royalty streams, if GSK programs advance to approval, would represent a new revenue category. The agreement also includes the option structure for additional targets, which could generate further upfront and milestone payments if exercised.

Halozyme has separately expanded its drug delivery portfolio through the Hypercon microparticle hyperconcentration technology, acquired via Surf Bio, which the company positions as complementary to Enhanze for biologics requiring reduced injection volume rather than enzymatic matrix modification. That platform has been licensed to Janssen, Eli Lilly, argenx, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, and Oruka Therapeutics, though it is not part of the GSK oncology agreement.

This article was generated with AI assistance and reviewed and edited by the AllSci editorial team Explore more at AllSci News: https://allsci.com/news/

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