Earendil Labs Partners With Genentech on Bispecific Cancer Antibodies

Earendil Labs announced on September 24, 2026, a research collaboration with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, to discover and develop multiple bispecific antibody therapies for cancer. The agreement includes a $55 million upfront payment to Earendil Labs and a total potential value in excess of $1.5 billion.

Earendil Labs will lead antibody discovery and research through early clinical development for antibody programs aimed at certain pre-agreed target combinations. Genentech will then take over global clinical development and commercialization of antibody programs emerging from the collaboration. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.

The total potential value figure covers the upfront payment together with development, regulatory, and sales milestone payments. Earendil Labs is also eligible for tiered royalties on net product sales.

Statements From Earendil Labs and Roche

Jian Peng, PhD, CEO of Earendil Labs, called Genentech a pioneer in defining modern biologics cancer medicine. He said Earendil Labs is building an AI-driven high-throughput biology platform that integrates AI directly into biologics research and development, spanning predictive protein modeling, generative protein design, and rapid experimental validation. By combining the platform with Genentech’s deep expertise in oncology drug development, Peng said, the companies aim to accelerate the creation of differentiated bispecific antibodies and translate them into new medicines.

Zhenping Zhu, MD, PhD, President and co-CEO of Earendil Labs, said a significant unmet medical need persists despite major advances in targeted cancer therapies and immunotherapies, as many cancer patients develop drug resistance or relapse. Tumor growth and metastasis depend on multiple interactive biological pathways, he said, making it especially challenging for therapies directed at a single mechanism to achieve durable benefit. “Bispecific antibodies offer the potential to address complementary disease biology within a single medicine,” Zhu said, adding that through the strategic collaboration the companies strive to discover and advance meaningful new treatment options for patients expeditiously.

“Bispecific antibodies have reframed how we approach treatment precision in oncology,” said Boris L. Zaïtra, Head of Roche Corporate Business Development. In cancers where patients face high relapse rates and limited options, he said, bispecific antibodies support Roche’s commitment to delivering innovative, targeted therapies. Partnering with companies such as Earendil Labs, he added, allows Roche to push the boundaries of scientific innovation to meet patients’ critical unmet needs in oncology.

Earendil Labs’ Discovery Platform

Earendil Labs describes itself as an AI-powered biotech company focused on researching and developing next-generation biologics for the treatment of autoimmune, cancer, and other diseases of unmet medical need. The company says it combines advanced machine learning, generative protein engineering, and high-throughput experimental techniques, working with its affiliate Helixon, to streamline the drug discovery and research process with the aim of significantly accelerating drug development. According to the company, its proprietary integrated framework enables precise optimization of the functionality, manufacturability, and developability of protein-based biologics with first-in-class and/or best-in-class potential.

Earlier 2026 Collaborations

The Genentech agreement follows earlier 2026 collaborations with Sanofi and WuXi Biologics. On January 5, 2026, Earendil Labs announced a strategic collaboration with Sanofi to apply its discovery platform to multiple autoimmune and inflammatory disease programs, with Sanofi leading development and worldwide commercialization of bispecific candidates arising from the collaboration. Under that agreement, Earendil Labs was to receive up to $160 million in upfront and near-term payments tied to early program achievements, with a total potential value of up to $2.56 billion and tiered royalties on net product sales of up to a low double-digit percentage. That transaction was also subject to customary closing conditions.

On March 12, 2026, Earendil Labs and WuXi Biologics jointly announced a strategic collaboration covering the development and manufacturing of multiple novel bispecific and multispecific antibodies and ADC candidates in Earendil Labs’ pipeline targeting autoimmune disease, cancer, and other diseases. WuXi Biologics, a contract research, development, and manufacturing organization, provides end-to-end biologics development and manufacturing services under that agreement, spanning cell line development, process and bioassay development, drug product formulation development, and GMP manufacturing. The companies said the collaboration is designed to accelerate regulatory timelines, enhance CMC execution reliability, and support scalable global clinical development across Earendil Labs’ programs.