Novartis agreed to acquire Myricx Bio for up to $1.5 billion to add a next-generation antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) payload platform built around N-myristoyltransferase inhibitor (NMTi) warheads. The deal is designed to broaden Novartis’ oncology pipeline with a mechanism Novartis says could help address resistance and toxicity limitations seen with existing ADC payload classes. Myricx’s approach centers on payloads intended to deliver cancer-killing activity selectively inside tumor cells by blocking NMT—an enzyme involved in protein function needed for cancer cell survival. The company highlighted preclinical evidence of broad activity across solid tumors, including in models resistant to topoisomerase-1 inhibitors and tubulin inhibitor payloads. Novartis investors reacted with early share declines on Monday as the market digested the size of the acquisition and its preclinical stage positioning. Novartis said it plans to combine Myricx’s two lead ADC assets and the NMTi payload platform with its own cancer development expertise.