Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) announced  it has successfully completed the acquisition of Ambrx Biopharma, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a proprietary synthetic biology technology platform to design and develop next-generation antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), in an all-cash merger transaction for a total equity value of approximately $2.0 billion, or $1.9 billion net of estimated cash acquired, as announced on January 8, 2024. The transaction will be accounted for as a business combination.

“We’re pleased to welcome Ambrx’s talented scientific team and proprietary ADC platform to Johnson & Johnson. We look forward to continuing the development of ARX517, which represents a potential first- and best-in-class PSMA-targeting ADC for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer,” said Yusri Elsayed, MD, MHSc, PhD, Global Therapeutic Area Head, Oncology, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine. “This significant opportunity sets the stage for advancing next generation ADCs with the aim of delivering differentiated solid tumor therapies that improve patients’ lives.”

The acquisition presents a distinct opportunity for Johnson & Johnson to design, develop and commercialize targeted oncology therapeutics. Ambrx’s proprietary ADC technology incorporates the advantages of highly specific targeting monoclonal antibodies securely linked to a potent chemotherapeutic payload to achieve targeted and efficient elimination of cancer cells without the prevalent side effects typically associated with chemotherapy.

“The Ambrx team has developed a promising pipeline and ADC platform that will be a strong complement and strategic fit to our oncology innovation strategy,” said Biljana Naumovic, Worldwide Vice President, Oncology, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine. “ADCs are transforming the solid tumor treatment paradigm by leveraging antibody-antigen interactions to release cytotoxic payload directly to tumor cells. This acquisition underscores our ambition to deliver enhanced, precision biologics to transform the treatment of cancers, including prostate cancer.”