ADC Therapeutics does not operate in theory. It operates in consequence. Born in 2011 and shaped in 2012 under the financial architecture of Auven Therapeutics, this Lausanne and London built oncology company began with a precise ambition: engineer antibody drug conjugates potent enough to matter in real patients. Co founder Chris Martin brought the Spirogen pedigree and deep PBD chemistry expertise. The premise was not fashionable. It was technical, disciplined, and built on the belief that if you could guide the payload with accuracy, you could shift outcomes in cancers that had exhausted standard options.
Today, ADC Therapeutics is a commercial stage biotech with ZYNLONTA on the market and a broader ADC portfolio in development. ZYNLONTA, a CD19 directed antibody drug conjugate, secured accelerated FDA approval in April 2021 for adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma after 2 or more prior lines of therapy. In oncology terms, that means heavily pretreated patients and limited alternatives. In December 2022, the European Commission granted conditional approval, triggering a $50M milestone from Sobi and extending commercial reach across Europe. This is not speculative pipeline positioning. This is revenue anchored in regulatory validation.
The mechanism is as deliberate as the strategy. ZYNLONTA binds to CD19 on B cells, internalizes, and releases a pyrrolobenzodiazepine dimer payload that crosslinks DNA, driving tumor cell death. The LOTIS 2 Phase 2 trial underpinned approval, delivering response data that demanded institutional attention. In a market crowded with promise, ADC Therapeutics advanced with evidence. That distinction matters in serious startup news.
Leadership evolution has mirrored corporate maturation. In May 2022, Ameet Mallik stepped in as CEO and Director, marking a transition from founder led build to scaled commercial execution. Chris Martin, who helped architect the ADC platform and guided the company through its clinical ascent, transitioned out of the CEO role and later stepped off the board in 2023 as part of a broader governance evolution. Ron Squarer serves as Chairman, reinforcing oversight as the company balances commercialization, capital allocation, and pipeline expansion. This is what disciplined biotech growth looks like when science meets public markets.
Capital formation has followed progress. Prior to its 2020 New York Stock Exchange debut under ticker ADCT, ADC Therapeutics raised more than $500M in private funding, including a $276M Series E in 2017. In October 2025, the company announced a $60M private placement to extend runway and support ongoing ZYNLONTA development and broader strategic initiatives. Oncology requires durability. The balance sheet must move in rhythm with the clinic.
Strategically, hematologic malignancies anchor the franchise while solid tumors represent measured expansion. The Sobi partnership extends geographic reach without duplicating infrastructure, aligning economics with execution. ADC Therapeutics links antibody to payload with the same discipline it links science to strategy. Tight integration. Clear targets. No wasted motion.
In the current cycle of startup news, where antibody drug conjugates are again commanding institutional capital and large pharma attention, a commercial stage ADC specialist with dual regulatory approvals, milestone revenue, and an evolving leadership bench is not background noise. It is signal. ADC Therapeutics stands at the intersection of platform science and commercial reality, a case study in how focused modality execution can compound over time. The next chapters will be written in data, capital efficiency, and expanded indications. Those tracking serious oncology plays in the startup ecosystem know exactly why this one matters.
