8 Apr 2026
In a multi-billion-dollar deal, the US biopharmaceutical company Gilead is to acquire Tubulis GmbH, an LMU spin-off developing next-generation anti-cancer drugs.
Gilead has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Tubulis GmbH. The purchase price for the transaction amounts to approximately USD 3.15 billion, plus up to USD 1.85 billion in success-based milestone payments. Tubulis was founded in 2019 jointly by LMU molecular biologists led by Professor Heinrich Leonhardt at the LMU Biocenter and Professor Christian Hackenberger from the Leibniz Research Institute for Molecular Pharmacology in Berlin (FMP Berlin). The company develops next-generation antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) designed to deliver various drugs more selectively to tumors and maximize patient benefit.
“Our mission at LMU is to catalyze and accelerate the transfer of research into industry, thereby achieving a major positive impact — making sure that the knowledge we generate here is available to as many people as possible and goes into therapies that truly help people,” says Dr. Philipp Baaske, Vice President for Entrepreneurship at LMU. “The fact that a US biotech giant is acquiring an LMU spin-off shows that we are succeeding in that.”
The acquisition includes TUB-040, Tubulis’ lead product. This drug candidate targets a molecule commonly found in ovarian and lung cancers and is currently in Phase 1b/2 clinical development. Also part of the acquisition is TUB-030, a drug demonstrating promising early clinical data that targets a molecule found in various solid tumor types.
Playing a key role in Tubulis’ product development is the innovative P5 conjugation technology, which enables the precise linking of antibodies to highly potent drugs. It was developed in basic research by Tubulis co-founder Christian Hackenberger and his team at FMP Berlin. Tubulis further developed the P5 technology for clinical research and application in cooperation with the research group led by Tubulis co-founder Heinrich Leonhardt, Chair of Human Biology and BioImaging at LMU. “This successful technology development demonstrates the importance of interdisciplinary collaborations across faculty and institute boundaries,” says Leonhardt.
Following the closing of the transaction, Tubulis will operate as a dedicated ADC research organization within Gilead, with Munich serving as a hub for ADC innovation. This will build upon the site’s integrated expertise in research, production, and clinical development to advance next-generation ADCs. The acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter of 2026 and is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.