PR99394

TOKYO, Jan. 10, 2023 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

Ajinomoto Co., Inc. ("Ajinomoto Co.") today announced a license agreement with

Exelixis, Inc. ("Exelixis") to incorporate AJICAP(R), Ajinomoto Co.'s

proprietary site-specific bioconjugation and linker technologies, in the

development of certain of Exelixis' antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) programs.

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Exelixis is a commercially successful, oncology-focused biotechnology company

that strives to accelerate the discovery, development and commercialization of

new medicines for difficult-to-treat cancers. Utilizing its network of

biotherapeutics collaborations, the company is developing next generation ADCs

for the treatment of various cancers. Ajinomoto Co. is a leading technology

provider for biopharmaceuticals and the owner of CDMO Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma

Services. AJICAP(R) is Ajinomoto Co.'s proprietary site-specific bioconjugation

and stable linker technologies compatible with commonly used antibody isotypes.

AJICAP technology includes its "off-the-shelf" feature, allowing any

therapeutic antibody at any stage of development to be conjugated to

drug-payloads of choice without the need for antibody engineering or cell line

development, and stable/hydrophilic linkers to generate antibody-drug

conjugates with an enhanced therapeutic window.

As part of the license agreement, Exelixis will have the right to use the

AJICAP technology to support its aim of advancing multiple ADCs with the

potential for higher efficacy and lower toxicity than currently available

options. Ajinomoto Co. is eligible to receive development, regulatory and

commercial milestone payments as well as royalties on commercial sales.

Dr. Tatsuya Okuzumi, General Manager, Business Development Group, Bio-Pharma

Services Department, Ajinomoto Co., expressed: "We are very excited to support

Exelixis, a leader in oncology drug discovery, development, and

commercialization, in the development of novel antibody-drug conjugates. The

combination of Exelixis' antibodies and payloads with Ajinomoto Co.'s AJICAP

opens up a wide range of oncology applications and may be harnessed to provide

a clinical benefit to patients."

About Ajinomoto Co. and Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services Based on the corporate

message "Eat Well, Live Well.", Ajinomoto Co., Inc. has been scientifically

pursuing the possibilities of amino acids to aim for future growth by creating

new value through sustainable and innovative solutions for communities and

society. For additional information about Ajinomoto Co. (TYO: 2802), please

visit www.ajinomoto.com .

As its pharmaceutical arm, Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services is a fully integrated

contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with sites in

Belgium, United States, Japan, and India, providing comprehensive development,

cGMP manufacturing, and aseptic fill finish services for small and large

molecule APIs and intermediates. For more information about Ajinomoto

Bio-Pharma Services, please visit www.AjiBio-Pharma.com .

In addition, Ajinomoto Co. and Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services offer a broad

range of innovative platform technologies and capabilities for pre-clinical and

pilot programs to commercial quantities, including AJIPHASE(R) oligonucleotide

manufacturing technology, CORYNEX(R) and TALAMAX(R) protein expression systems,

AJICAP(R) site-specific conjugation and linker technologies for ADCs,

continuous flow manufacturing and more. For additional information on the

platform technologies, please visit https://ajibio-pharma.ajinomoto.com/.

About Exelixis, Inc. Founded in 1994, Exelixis, Inc. (Exelixis) is a

commercially successful, oncology-focused biotechnology company that strives to

accelerate the discovery, development and commercialization of new medicines

for difficult-to-treat cancers. Following early work in model system genetics,

Exelixis established a broad drug discovery and development platform that has

served as the foundation for our continued efforts to bring new cancer

therapies to patients in need. Exelixis' discovery efforts have resulted in

four commercially available products, CABOMETYX(R) (cabozantinib), COMETRIQ(R)

(cabozantinib), COTELLIC(R) (cobimetinib) and MINNEBRO(R) (esaxerenone), and

Exelixis has entered into partnerships with leading pharmaceutical companies to

bring these important medicines to patients worldwide. Supported by revenues

from marketed products and collaborations, Exelixis is committed to prudently

reinvesting in our business to maximize the potential of our pipeline. Exelixis

is supplementing existing therapeutic assets with targeted business development

activities and internal drug discovery — all to deliver the next generation of

Exelixis medicines and help patients recover stronger and live longer. Exelixis

is a member of the Standard & Poor's (S&P) MidCap 400 index, which measures the

performance of profitable mid-sized companies. For more information about

Exelixis, please visit www.exelixis.com , follow @ExelixisInc on Twitter or like

Exelixis, Inc. on Facebook.

SOURCE:  Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services

CONTACT: info@us.ajibio-pharma.com