Genentech has expanded its ADC ambitions with a major licensing deal centered on DualityBio’s topoisomerase inhibitor payload platform. DualityBio said it will receive $45 million upfront and potentially more than $1 billion in milestones, with tiered royalties tied to net sales across multiple programs. The agreement assigns DualityBio responsibility for discovery and early global clinical development through Phase Ia, while Genentech will take over for global licensing, later clinical development, and commercialization. The payload platform, known as DUPAC, is engineered for stability in circulation and targeted release at tumor sites to address a key ADC development problem: systemic toxicity. Genentech’s move underscores the industry’s focus on improving performance in ADC-resistant settings, where patients can progress after prior ADC exposure. With Genentech already facing a growing competitive field, the pact also signals continued investment in payload innovation rather than linker-only differentiation. DualityBio described the deal as its seventh partnership with major pharmaceutical and biotech companies, reinforcing its role as a technology supplier in ADC research and early-stage development.