Krakow, Poland – February 19, 2025 – Ryvu Therapeutics (WSE: RVU), a clinical-stage drug discovery and development company focusing on novel oncology therapies that address emerging targets in oncology, announced the company will receive two grant agreements totaling PLN 13 million to support the expansion of its research infrastructure and R&D efforts to develop technological basis and strategic advantages  for a novel ADC (antibody-drug conjugate) solutions with next-generation payloads, including synthetically lethal and immunomodulatory mechanisms. 

• On February 14, the Company signed a grant agreement with the Malopolska Centre for Entrepreneurship for the InfraADC project, with a subsidy value of PLN 3.1 million. The funding will be used to acquire specialized lab equipment enabling R&D on ADCs. 

• On February 17, the Company participated in a press conference organized by the Medical Research Agency, marking the announcement of the grant competition results. Ryvu’s ADCraft project was recommended for funding with a grant worth PLN 9.9 million. As part of the project, next-generation active substances (payloads) for ADCs will be developed. 

• Ryvu’s total contribution to both projects is PLN 6.3 million, so non-dilutive grants will cover approximately two-thirds of the planned investment  in the Company’s proprietary ADC technology. 

• As of 2024, 11 ADC therapies were available on the U.S. market, with total global sales expected to reach USD 28 billion by 2030 (1). Ongoing clinical trials of new ADC candidates demonstrate favorable safety profiles and high efficacy across various cancer types. These promising results are driving strong demand from major pharmaceutical companies for ADC projects. Combined with a limited supply, this dynamic leads to significantly above-average transaction values in the sector. 

Krzysztof Brzozka, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of Ryvu said: 

• Building on Ryvu’s expertise in cancer biology and encouraged by the clinical and commercial potential of ADCs, we are strengthening our modality toolkit to enable our  innovative synthetically lethal and immunomodulatory ADC payloads. Our expertise in this area includes our collaboration with Exelixis, a U.S.-based biopharmaceutical company, which is developing ADCs utilizing Ryvu’s small-molecule STING agonists. We are confident this initiative will generate substantial value for patients and investors, and the secured grants will enable us to maximize the efficiency of our own capital. We do not rule out pursuing additional ADC-related projects with the support of non-dilutive funding. 

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are an advanced targeted therapy combining a small-molecule drug with a monoclonal antibody. The antibody selectively binds to a specific antigen on the surface of cancer cells, ensuring the precise delivery of the cytotoxic agent to the tumor, while minimizing damage to healthy tissues and reducing side effects. 

An ADC consists of three key components: 

• A monoclonal antibody that accurately targets cancer cells. 
• A cytotoxic payload (active substance) that destroys the tumor. 
• A linker that ensures controlled drug release at the intended site. 

With their unique mechanism of action, ADCs offer a promising approach for treating various cancers, particularly those that are challenging to address with conventional therapies. 

ADC drugs demonstrate a favorable safety profile and high efficacy, generating significant interest from pharmaceutical companies and leading to above-average M&A and partnering transaction values. The ADC drug market is expected to grow from USD 10 billion in 2023 to USD 39 billion by 2030. Multiple blockbuster therapies will drive this growth, each projected to generate annual sales exceeding USD 1 billion(2). 

Selected acquisitions of companies with ADC projects as key assets (1): 

Year	Acquirer	Acquired	Value
2020	Gilead Sciences	Immunomedics	USD 21bn
2023	Pfizer	Seagen	USD 43bn
2024	AbbVie	ImmunoGen	USD 10bn

 

Number and value of partnering agreements for ADC projects (2): 

Year	Number of agreements	Total up-front payment value	Total bio-dollar value
2019	1	USD 1.4bn	USD 7.0bn
2020	2	USD 1.6bn	USD 10.2bn
2021	2	USD 0.9bn	USD 5.8bn
2022	7	USD 0.4bn	USD 17.6bn
2023	15	USD 7.6bn	USD 53.7bn

 

1. Antibody-Drug-Conjugate (ADC) Landscape Deep Dive, Guggenheim Securities (2024) 
2. The 2024 Global Antibody-Drug Conjugates Report, Alira Health (2025)