Novartis will pay $105m upfront and up to $1.8bn in milestones and royalties under a $1.9bn deal to develop small molecule therapies for undruggable cancer targets with Antares. Antares will lead research on undisclosed oncology targets using its discovery engine; its lead programme is poised for clinical trials in 2026.
Novartis will pay $105m upfront and could make up to $1.8bn in milestone and royalty payments, totaling $1.9bn, for rights to collaborate with Antares on small molecule oncology therapies targeting undruggable proteins.
Antares will lead research on a limited number of undisclosed cancer targets using its proprietary discovery engine, which includes compound libraries and computational pocket-finding approaches, with its lead precision oncology programme set to enter clinical trials in 2026.
This collaboration bolsters Novartis’ oncology segment, which saw 18% sales growth to $16.8bn in 2025, and complements top-selling Kisqali by expanding the company’s pipeline into high-value undruggable targets, potentially driving future revenue growth.
Businesswire
