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DualityBio, Genentech strike ADC deal worth more than $1 billion in potential milestones. DualityBio and Genentech partner to develop next-generation ADCs using the DUPAC platform, with $45M upfront and over $1B in potential milestones. M.Pharm (Reg. Affairs) DualityBio has entered into a global collaboration and license agreement with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, to develop ADCs incorporating payloads from its proprietary DualityBio Unique Payload Antibody Conjugate (DUPAC) platform. The agreement provides DualityBio with a $45 million upfront payment, more than $1 billion in potential development, regulatory and commercial milestones, and tiered royalties on annual net sales. Genentech will assume further clinical development and global commercialization after Phase 1a. Novel ADC payloads target resistance beyond topoisomerase inhibitors. DUPAC is one of four ADC technology platforms developed by DualityBio and focuses on payloads with novel mechanisms of action. The platform includes multiple distinct payloads, each built around a different antitumor mechanism. DUPAC pairs these novel payloads with optimized and compatible linker technologies that support systemic stability and tumor-selective payload release. The payloads also feature high potency, broad-spectrum activity across tumor types, short systemic half-lives that allow rapid clearance, and a bystander effect suited to heterogeneous solid tumors. The approach addresses an emerging challenge in ADC therapy. As topoisomerase inhibitor-based ADCs move into earlier treatment lines across major solid tumor indications, more patients are likely to progress after exposure to this payload class. DUPAC aims to provide alternative payload mechanisms that can retain antitumor activity in tumors resistant or relatively insensitive to topoisomerase inhibitor-based ADCs. Genentech targets remain undisclosed. Under the agreement, DualityBio will generate and develop ADCs against Genentech-defined oncology targets using payloads from the DUPAC platform. The specific targets have not been disclosed publicly. DualityBio will lead discovery and early global clinical development for the collaboration programs. Genentech receives exclusive worldwide licenses to the resulting ADCs and will assume sole responsibility for further clinical development and commercialization after Phase 1a. The companies have not disclosed specific ADC candidates, target indications, clinical trial designs or development timelines. Preclinical data provide the initial rationale. DUPAC encompasses several payloads, including DUP5, DUP9 and DUP10, with each acting through a distinct antitumor mechanism. DualityBio has presented preclinical data from DUP5- and DUP9-based ADC programs at multiple scientific meetings. These studies included activity in tumor models that were relatively insensitive to topoisomerase inhibitor payloads, as well as non-human primate tolerability findings. The company presented the data at AACR 2025, the 2025 AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference and AACR 2026. The findings remain preclinical and do not establish clinical efficacy or safety in humans. The subsequent development of the Genentech collaboration programs will therefore determine whether the differentiated payload biology translates into meaningful therapeutic activity. Deal combines DualityBio and Genentech capabilities. DualityBio CEO John Zhu said the collaboration reflects the growing need for alternative payload mechanisms as topoisomerase inhibitor-based ADCs move into earlier lines of therapy. He highlighted DUPAC's potential to address resistance while broadening the biological scope of ADC programs. Boris L. Zaïtra, head of Roche Corporate Business Development, said the partnership supports Roche's broader effort to advance targeted cancer medicines through external innovation. Financial terms and path forward. DualityBio will receive $45 million upfront and is eligible for more than $1 billion in aggregate development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments across the collaboration programs, in addition to tiered royalties on annual net sales of approved products. The announcement does not disclose an equity investment as part of the transaction. The publicly disclosed economics therefore center on the upfront payment, potential milestones and sales-based royalties. DualityBio will advance the programs through discovery and early global clinical development, while Genentech is positioned to take over after Phase 1a. Key milestones will include selection of specific ADC candidates, clinical entry and determination of whether DUPAC's novel payload mechanisms can deliver differentiated efficacy with an acceptable safety profile. Reference. About the Writer Umesh Hanumante (M.Pharm) (LinkedIn) is a pharmacy professional and healthcare writer with a background in Regulatory Affairs, pharmaceutical innovation, and clinical research. He has around two years of industry experience as an Executive PMT at Troikaa Pharmaceuticals Ltd and qualified GPAT 2024. His areas of interest include regulatory compliance, dossier preparation, clinical trials, emerging therapies, and advancements in the global pharmaceutical and healthcare sector.

DualityBio enters a global collaboration and license agreement with Genentech to develop next-generation ADCs built on DualityBio's DUPAC novel-payload platform. Aug 28, 2026, 00:08 ET * Collaboration leverages DualityBio's proprietary DUPAC payload platform and early global clinical development capabilities, with Genentech assuming further clinical development and global commercialization * DUPAC, one of the DualityBio's four proprietary ADC technology platforms, comprises multiple payloads with novel mechanism of action designed to address resistance to the payload classes underlying currently approved ADCs * DualityBio to receive a US$45 million upfront payment, more than US$1 billion in potential milestone payments, and tiered royalties on net sales SHANGHAI, Aug. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - DUALITYBIO Inc. (HKEX: 09606; "DualityBio" or the "Company") today announced that it has entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, to develop next-generation antibody-drug conjugates ("ADCs") built on the Company's proprietary DualityBio Unique Payload Antibody Conjugate ("DUPAC") platform. DUPAC is one of DualityBio's four proprietary ADC platforms and is dedicated to payloads with novel mechanisms of action. It comprises multiple distinct payloads, each built on a unique antitumor mechanism, paired with optimized and compatible linker technologies designed for systemic stability and tumor-specific release. DUPAC payloads are engineered based on a common set of criteria: high potency, broad-spectrum activity across tumor types, a short systemic half-life permitting rapid clearance, and a bystander effect suited to heterogeneous solid tumors. As topoisomerase inhibitor-based ADCs move into earlier lines of therapy across major solid tumor indications, patients who progress on this payload class represent a large and growing area of unmet medical need. The DUPAC platform is designed to retain antitumor activity in that setting and in tumors that are less responsive to topoisomerase inhibitor-based ADCs. Under the terms of the agreement, Duality will generate and develop ADCs against Genentech defined oncology targets using payloads from the DUPAC platform. For the collaboration programs, DualityBio will lead discovery and early global clinical development. Genentech receives an exclusive, worldwide license to the collaboration ADCs, and will assume sole responsibility for further clinical development and commercialization after Phase 1a. Under the agreement, DualityBio will receive an upfront payment of US$45 million and is eligible to receive more than US$1 billion in aggregate development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments across all programs, together with tiered royalties on annual net sales of approved products. "As topoisomerase inhibitor-based ADCs achieve broad clinical success and move into earlier lines of therapy, a growing unmet medical need is emerging for patients whose tumors are resistant or refractory to this payload class. We built DUPAC to help address this challenge with a family of next-generation payloads designed to overcome resistance and enable each ADC program to expand the breadth of the underlying tumor biology. By combining DualityBio's payload innovation and early-stage global clinical development capabilities with Genentech's deep oncology expertise and worldwide development reach, we can advance these programs with greater speed and scale and bring differentiated medicines to more patients around the world," said Dr. John Zhu, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of DualityBio. "By further enhancing targeted medicines like ADCs, we focus our innovation where the need is highest," said Boris L. Zaïtra, head of Roche Corporate Business Development. "Backed by Roche's decades-long legacy in oncology, collaborating with partners such as DualityBio enables us to identify novel treatment options, such that we can tackle patients' unmet needs in cancer care." About DUPAC DUPAC (DualityBio Unique Payload Antibody Conjugate) is DualityBio's proprietary platform for ADC payloads with novel mechanisms of action, and one of four ADC technology platforms developed by the Company alongside DITAC, DIMAC and DIBAC. DUPAC encompasses several payloads, including DUP5, DUP9 and DUP10, each acting through a distinct antitumor mechanism. Preclinical data on DUP5-based ADCs and DUP9-based ADCs, including activity in tumor models relatively insensitive to topoisomerase inhibitor payloads and non-human primate tolerability, have been presented at multiple medical conferences, including AACR 2025 (Abstract 5454), AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference 2025 (Abstract B129 and Abstract B130), and AACR 2026 (Abstract 2657). About DualityBio DualityBio is a clinical-stage innovative biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing next-generation antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases. The Company has successfully built multiple next-generation ADC technology platforms with global intellectual property rights. Grounded in a deep understanding of disease biology, DualityBio has established a robust clinical-stage ADC pipeline and is conducting multiple global, multicenter clinical trials across nearly 20 countries, with over 3,500 patients enrolled to date. Furthermore, DualityBio has entered into several out-licensing collaborations with global pharmaceutical companies and leading innovative biotech firms. Serving as a global engine for ADC innovation, DualityBio continues to develop next-generation novel ADCs, including bispecific ADCs, ADCs with novel payloads, and autoimmune ADCs. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "aims," "intends," "plans," "believes," "may," and similar expressions. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the beliefs, plans, objectives, and expectations of Duality Biotherapeutics, Inc. (the "Company") regarding its business, research and development programs, and product candidates, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to risks related to the Company's research and development, clinical trials, regulatory approvals, commercialization, and general economic and industry conditions. SOURCE Duality Biotherapeutics, Inc.

DualityBio enters a global collaboration and license agreement with Genentech to develop next-generation ADCs built on DualityBio's DUPAC novel-payload platform. * By Duality Biotherapeutics, Inc. * 5 hrs ago * Collaboration leverages DualityBio's proprietary DUPAC payload platform and early global clinical development capabilities, with Genentech assuming further clinical development and global commercialization * DUPAC, one of the DualityBio's four proprietary ADC technology platforms, comprises multiple payloads with novel mechanism of action designed to address resistance to the payload classes underlying currently approved ADCs * DualityBio to receive a US$45 million upfront payment, more than US$1 billion in potential milestone payments, and tiered royalties on net sales SHANGHAI, Aug. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - DUALITYBIO Inc. (HKEX: 09606; "DualityBio" or the "Company") today announced that it has entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, to develop next-generation antibody-drug conjugates ("ADCs") built on the Company's proprietary DualityBio Unique Payload Antibody Conjugate ("DUPAC") platform.