American biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, located in California, is acquiring the Munich-based biotechnology company Tubulis, thereby further expanding its oncology pipeline. The transaction centers on the integration of a potentially best-in-class antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) as well as a next-generation platform.
Tubulis, an m4 Award winner from 2017, is considered one of Europe’s emerging biotech players. In October 2025, the company closed a €308 million Series C financing round—the largest of its kind for a European biotech company and the largest global financing of a private ADC developer. The funds are being used to advance the clinical development of its lead candidate TUB-040 and to further expand its pipeline.
Through the acquisition, Gilead adds this lead candidate TUB-040 to its pipeline, a NaPi2b-targeting ADC currently in Phase 1b/2 clinical development for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. The portfolio is further complemented by TUB-030, a 5T4-targeting ADC that has shown promising early clinical data across multiple solid tumor types.
In addition, Gilead strengthens its ADC capabilities through Tubulis’ Tubutecan linker-payload technology and other platform approaches designed to deliver therapeutic agents more selectively to tumors and enhance clinical benefit. Tubulis’ programs have broad potential across multiple tumor types and complement Gilead’s existing development strategy.
The agreement follows an existing collaboration between the two companies and underscores the strategic importance of ADCs within Gilead’s oncology focus. Tubulis contributes not only clinical-stage assets but also a pipeline of early-stage programs.
Following completion of the transaction, Tubulis will operate as an independent research unit within Gilead, with its Munich site serving as a central hub for ADC innovation.
Financially, the deal includes an upfront payment of $3.15 billion, with up to $1.85 billion in potential milestone payments. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, subject to customary regulatory conditions.