In a strategic move to advance its oncology pipeline, Novartis has announced an agreement to acquire Myricx Bio, a privately held, UK-based biotechnology company specializing in next-generation antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). The acquisition includes an upfront payment of USD 1.1 billion, with up to USD 400 million in potential milestone payments, and is expected to close in the second half of 2026 subject to regulatory approvals. Through this transaction, Novartis integrates a potential first-in-class N-myristoyltransferase inhibitor (NMTi) ADC payload platform designed to address resistance to current therapeutic options, including TOPO-1 inhibitors. The deal strengthens Novartis’ portfolio with two lead ADC assets targeting B7-H3 and HER2 across multiple solid tumor settings, while offering a broader platform to potentially establish NMTi as an entirely new class of clinically validated ADC payloads.
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Highlighting the strategic importance of the acquisition, Fiona Marshall, President of Biomedical Research at Novartis, stated, “ADCs have become an important part of cancer treatment, but there remains a clear need for new payload mechanisms to overcome resistance and expand their impact for patients. Myricx Bio has developed a promising NMTi payload platform with a differentiated mechanism that could broaden the use of ADCs across multiple tumor settings. This proposed acquisition reflects our strategy to scale innovative platforms, as we have with radioligand therapies, to deliver more durable, transformative treatments for patients.” By targeting the NMT enzyme essential for cancer cell survival and growth, this novel mechanism hopes to overcome previous limitations and pioneer transformative cancer care.