YL-201

Roche has signed another licensing deal with its China-based partner MediLink, this time focused on an antibody-drug conjugate for solid tumors that targets B7-H3. The Swiss drugmaker will obtain exclusive rights to MediLink’s drug, called YL201, outside of China, Hong Kong and Macau, according to a Thursday release . MediLink will get $570 million in upfront payments and near-term milestones. The Suzhou-based biotech is also eligible for additional milestones and tiered royalties on sales outside of China. YL201 is currently in Phase 3 development in China for small cell lung cancer and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The drug is also being tested by MediLink in several early-stage global trials in advanced solid tumors. The biotech designed the asset using its so-called TMALIN platform. Roche previously teamed up with MediLink in January 2024, when it licensed a c-Met-targeted ADC called YL211 for $50 million in upfront and near-term payments. That candidate is now in a global Phase 1 study for advanced solid tumors. In another tie-up with a different Chinese drugmaker, Roche spent $80 million upfront this time last year for a DLL3-targeting drug developed by Innovent Biologics. That was its second collaboration with Innovent after an initial partnership they signed in 2020. Error: Survey not found.

SUZHOU, China, Jan. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- MediLink Therapeutics ("MediLink") today announced that it has entered into a new collaboration and exclusive licensing agreement with Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) for the development and commercialization of YL201, an investigational novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) asset targeting B7H3 across numerous solid tumor types. Under the terms of the agreement, MediLink will grant Roche an exclusive license to develop, manufacture, and commercialize YL201 worldwide, excluding the mainland of China, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the Macau Special Administrative Region. MediLink will receive upfront and near-term milestone payments of US$ 570 million, together with additional development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments, as well as tiered royalties on net sales of YL201 outside of China, once approved. This new agreement for YL201 builds on the successful collaboration initiated in January 2024 for the YL211 (c-Met ADC) program. MediLink and Roche are now deepening their collaboration through the development of YL201. Through this new agreement, the two companies will leverage their complementary strengths to accelerate YL201's path to global regulatory approvals. United by a shared commitment to scientific innovation and patient benefit, MediLink and Roche strive to bring this potentially transformative therapy option quickly to patients. Dr. Tongtong Xue, Ph.D., Founder, Chairman and CEO of MediLink, stated "We are thrilled to again enter into collaboration with our valued partner Roche. We are impressed by Roche's unparalleled expertise in global clinical development for oncology assets and look forward to working jointly to expedite worldwide patient access to YL201 once approved." "YL201 has demonstrated promising clinical data, and this collaboration with Roche marks a transformative step for its global development. This agreement provides YL201, a key asset from our innovative TMALIN® platform, with the necessary worldwide reach and resources to potentially become a new treatment option, addressing critical unmet needs for patients with various solid tumors," said Dr. Jiaqiang Cai, Ph. D., Co-founder, co-CEO and CSO of MediLink. Boris L. Zaïtra, Head of Corporate Business Development at Roche, commented on the agreement: "Our deepening collaboration with MediLink on YL201 reflects Roche's commitment to leveraging cutting-edge innovation from around the globe to address unmet patient needs, particularly within oncology and lung cancer as one of our strategic priorities. We are excited to combine MediLink's and Roche's expertise in ADCs with our well established global development and commercial presence to bring this promising potential therapy option to patients." About YL201 YL201 is a B7H3-targeting ADC developed using MediLink's proprietary Tumor Microenvironment-Activatable LINker-payload (TMALIN®) platform. YL201 is currently under investigation in multinational clinical trials for a variety of advanced solid tumors. In China, it has advanced into two Phase III registrational trials for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Preliminary clinical data have demonstrated promising objective response rates and survival benefits in 2L SCLC patients. In June 2025, the FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation for YL201 for the treatment of SCLC, following its previous conferral of three Orphan Drug Designations, including SCLC, NPC and Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (ESCC). About MediLink MediLink Therapeutics, founded in 2020, is a clinical-stage biotech company dedicated to developing innovative conjugated drugs for global patients. MediLink has built a differentiated proprietary TMALIN® technology platform, the versatility and efficacy of which have been consistently demonstrated through 13 clinical-stage ADC candidates, with supporting data from preclinical studies and ongoing global clinical trials. MediLink focuses on providing better treatment options for global patients and addressing unmet medical needs. MediLink is headquartered in Suzhou and has established R&D subsidiaries in Shanghai, Boston and Singapore. SOURCE MediLink Therapeutics 21% more press release views with Request a Demo