Halozyme to support Vertex on microparticle delivery for three undisclosed targets

Halozyme Therapeutics Inc., (Nasdaq: HALO) headquartered in California, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals have entered into an exclusive global collaboration and license agreement covering Halozyme’s Hypercon microparticle drug delivery platform. Under the terms of the Halozyme Vertex collaboration, Vertex has licensed the Hypercon technology for application across up to three undisclosed drug targets, with Halozyme’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Halozyme Hypercon, Inc., serving as the contracting entity.

Vertex will pay Halozyme a USD 15 million upfront payment. The agreement also includes potential future milestone payments tied to development, regulatory, and sales-based events, though no aggregate deal value or individual milestone figures were disclosed. Halozyme will additionally receive royalties on net sales of any products developed using the Hypercon technology. Royalty rates and tiering structures were not disclosed. The license is global and exclusive across the three target slots, with no territorial carve-outs or co-promotion rights referenced in the announcement.

The Hypercon platform

Hypercon is a microparticle-based formulation platform designed to enable hyperconcentration of biologics, reducing injection volume while maintaining the full therapeutic dose. The technology is intended to facilitate subcutaneous administration in both at-home and healthcare-provider settings, addressing a formulation barrier that has historically required high-dose biologics to be delivered via intravenous infusion. The technology was originally developed by Massachusetts-based Elektrofi, Inc., a company fully acquired by Halozyme for up to USD 900 million in November 2025.

The Hypercon technology is distinct from Halozyme’s earlier ENHANZE platform, which uses the proprietary enzyme rHuPH20 to facilitate subcutaneous delivery by transiently degrading hyaluronan in the subcutaneous space. Hypercon operates through a different mechanism, using microparticle suspension to reduce viscosity and enable stable formulation of highly concentrated biologics without enzymatic co-administration. Halozyme has described the two platforms as complementary. The company also holds rights to a polymer-based hyperconcentration technology acquired through Surf Bio, which it states further broadens the range of biologics addressable by subcutaneous delivery.

Prior to the Vertex agreement, Halozyme had disclosed Hypercon licenses with Janssen, Eli Lilly, and argenx, establishing a pattern of partnering with large-volume biologic developers seeking subcutaneous delivery options for pipeline assets.

Vertex is a Boston-based biopharmaceutical company with a pipeline spanning cystic fibrosis, pain, kidney disease, and cell and genetic therapies. The company has an established commercial franchise in cystic fibrosis built on small-molecule modulators, though its pipeline includes programs in disease areas where biologic modalities are more commonly applied. The specific Vertex programs to which the Hypercon technology will be applied were not identified in the announcement.