Adivo and Zoetis have been collaborating on antibody research for dogs and cats since 2021. In addition to research collaborations, Adivo has developed its own portfolio of antibody drug candidates in oncology and inflammatory diseases, with a first patient trial for the treatment of solid tumors in dogs initiated in early 2023.
"We founded Adivo with the vision of bringing the benefits of next-generation monoclonal antibody therapeutics to pet owners and their beloved companions worldwide. By joining forces with Zoetis, we have multiple approaches to deliver more gold-standard, species-specific therapeutic antibodies to companion animals,"
says Kathrin Ladetzki-Baehs, Founder and CEO of Adivo.
"I am very proud of the Adivo team's achievements after just five years of operations and minimal seed funding to begin our journey. I look forward to seeing what our team can achieve as part of a leading organization with global reach while continuing to grow in one of Europe's leading biopharmaceutical centers."
Innovation Center in Puchheim
Rob Polzer, Executive Vice President and President of Research and Development of Zoetis, says about the takeover:
"As a global leader in animal health, we are constantly seeking new business development opportunities and external innovation activities that can complement our internal research and development capabilities. The addition of Adivo to our R&D organization brings unique platforms that can accelerate our research and portfolio, potentially helping us address our customers' unmet needs in oncology, inflammatory diseases, and other areas. We look forward to the opportunities ahead."
With more than 1,000 m² of laboratory space in Puchheim near Munich, Adivo will serve as one of Zoetis' innovation centers for antibody drug research.
“Great development in recent years”
In 2018, Kathrin Ladetzki-Baehs and Markus Waldhuber, the two founders of Adivo, secured a Seed financing, in which HTGF, Occident and MorphoSys AG participated. According to the Munich Startup Insights To date, the company has raised a total of 2.5 million euros.
Angelika Vlachou, partner at HTGF, comments:
"We are delighted that Adivo, with its outstanding and powerful technology, has been acquired by Zoetis. As one of Adivo's first investors, it has been impressive to witness its tremendous development over the past few years. The acquisition by Zoetis is now the next logical step in bringing next-generation antibody therapeutics closer to use in animal patients."
