Novartis agreed to buy Myricx Bio for up to $1.5 billion to add a next-generation antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) payload platform to its oncology pipeline. The London-based company is developing ADC payloads based on N-myristoyltransferase inhibitor (NMTi) mechanisms, designed to address limitations seen with more established payload classes. The deal targets differentiation in resistance and toxicity profiles, with Myricx saying preclinical data suggest broad solid-tumor activity, including activity in settings modeled around TOPO-1 inhibitor resistance. Novartis plans to combine the company’s two lead ADC assets with the NMTi payload technology. Novartis framed the transaction as a platform-scaling strategy to extend beyond conventional payload mechanisms as the ADC field matures, with the acquisition expected to strengthen its ability to produce durable oncology differentiation.