Daiichi Sankyo Expanded ADC Discovery Partnership
The pharmaceutical firm will utilize Turbine’s vLab platform to simulate drug responses and optimize its growing pipeline of antibody-drug conjugates.
Updated on Sept. 24, 2026 in Biotech
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Daiichi Sankyo has deepened its collaboration with Turbine to integrate the vLab simulation platform into its discovery process for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). The initiative follows an initial feasibility programme and aims to accelerate the identification of optimal payloads and biomarkers.
Why it matters
As ADC pipelines become increasingly complex, integrating in silico experimentation is essential for managing the variables involved in drug discovery. This shift allows researchers to reduce reliance on resource-intensive wet-lab testing by using computer-modeled simulations to guide experimental design.
The vLab platform simulates cellular responses by modeling millions of conditions derived from cell lines and patient-derived xenograft models. This computational approach complements existing proprietary ADC programmes, such as trastuzumab deruxtecan and datopotamab deruxtecan.
The players
Daiichi Sankyo
A global pharmaceutical company focused on oncology, with a major pipeline of antibody-drug conjugates including trastuzumab deruxtecan.
Turbine
A biotechnology firm that develops simulation platforms for drug discovery, focused on modeling cellular biology to improve R&D success rates.
The details
The partnership employs a lab-in-the-loop workflow, where computational simulations generate experimental hypotheses that guide physical lab work. Results from these experiments are then fed back into the vLab models to refine future predictions. This mechanism enables researchers to better navigate the challenges of selecting drug payloads, therapeutic combinations, and clinical indications for ADCs—complex molecules that link a cancer-killing agent to an antibody for targeted delivery.
Timeline
2025: Turbine announced a separate ADC discovery collaboration with AstraZeneca.
August 2026: Daiichi Sankyo’s DS1025 CD25-directed ADC entered clinical development.
September 24, 2026: The expanded collaboration between Daiichi Sankyo and Turbine was announced.
The Tech Race
This partnership mirrors the model established by Turbine's 2025 ADC discovery agreement with AstraZeneca. It represents a broader industry shift where simulation platforms are becoming a prerequisite for managing complex, multi-variable ADC research pipelines.
This development signals a change in the R&D workflow for oncology drugs, potentially accelerating the timeline for bringing new therapies into clinical trials. While there is no immediate impact for patients, the integration of these models is expected to become standard practice in drug development, influencing the trajectory of future ADC releases.
The takeaway
The move underscores the growing reliance on predictive biology to navigate the rising complexity of drug development. Watch for future clinical trial data from the DS1025 program as a potential indicator of how these simulation-driven insights translate to in-human success.
Further reading
For more on the intersection of simulation and pharmacology, explore our latest Biotech coverage.
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