US pharmaceutical giant AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, D.C., naming Genmab A/S (NASDAQ: GMAB), Profound Bio US Co., ProfoundBio (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., and former AbbVie employees as defendants. The lawsuit alleges misappropriation of AbbVie’s trade secrets related to the use of disaccharides to enhance the hydrophilicity of drug-linkers in antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), specifically concerning rinatabart sesutecan (Rina-S) and other ADC pipeline products of ProfoundBio. AbbVie is seeking both damages and broad injunctive reliefs.
Details of the Allegations
The dispute centers on Rina-S, a folate receptor alpha (FRα)-directed antibody drug conjugate (ADC) currently in Phase III study for ovarian cancer and other FRα-positive solid tumors. AbbVie claims that the defendants misappropriated its trade secrets to improve the hydrophilicity of drug-linkers in ADCs, a critical aspect of developing stable and effective conjugates. The lawsuit asserts that these trade secrets were improperly used in connection with Rina-S and other ProfoundBio ADC products.
Genmab’s Response
Genmab, which acquired ProfoundBio’s product pipeline in May 2024, has firmly denied AbbVie’s allegations. The company states it will vigorously defend against the claims, emphasizing that AbbVie has not asserted any patent rights against the defendants nor developed products containing the alleged trade secrets. Despite the ongoing litigation, Genmab notes that its collaboration with AbbVie related to epcoritamab will continue unaffected.
Implications and Ongoing Proceedings
The lawsuit highlights the intense competition and high stakes in the development of ADCs, a promising area in oncology treatment. As the legal proceedings unfold, the case may set important precedents regarding the protection of trade secrets in biopharmaceutical research and development. Both companies will likely face scrutiny over their intellectual property practices and collaborative agreements in the biotechnology sector.-Fineline Info & Tech
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