Halozyme Therapeutics has entered into a global exclusive partnership and licence agreement with Vertex Pharmaceuticals through its subsidiary Halozyme Hypercon, marking a new step in advancing drug delivery capabilities. The deal gives Vertex access to the Hypercon platform, which it can apply across up to three specified drug targets, underlining a targeted approach to next-generation biologics development. This Hypercon technology deal reflects continued collaboration efforts aimed at improving treatment delivery efficiency and patient convenience.
At the centre of the agreement is Halozyme’s Hypercon microparticle platform, designed to enable higher drug concentration while reducing injection volume. The approach is intended to support subcutaneous delivery and enable more treatments to be administered outside clinical settings, including at home. Vertex will provide an upfront payment of $15m to Halozyme, alongside additional milestone payments tied to development progress. Halozyme is also entitled to receive royalties from net sales of any therapies developed using the licensed technology, aligning long-term incentives between the two companies.
Commenting on the collaboration, Halozyme Therapeutics president and CEO Helen Torley said: “This collaboration with Vertex underscores the versatility and potential of our Hypercon technology to enable small volume, patient-delivered next generation biologics. “Vertex is a proven innovator with deep expertise, and we believe Hypercon can play an important role in supporting improved ease of patient access to targeted biologics that have the potential to advance innovation for patients with serious diseases.” The Hypercon technology deal further expands Halozyme’s portfolio, complementing its established Enhanze platform.
Halozyme’s Enhanze drug delivery technology, built on the enzyme rHuPH20, continues to support subcutaneous administration by lowering treatment burden and improving patient convenience. The platform has already been used in more than ten commercialised products across over 100 countries, reaching more than one million patients worldwide. It is licensed to major pharmaceutical companies including AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Roche, Takeda, and ViiV Healthcare. With the addition of Hypercon and Surf Bio’s polymer-based hyperconcentration technology, Halozyme is broadening its capabilities in biologics delivery.
