Medilink Therapeutics
Medilink Therapeutics is a clinical-stage Chinese biotechnology company developing next-generation antibody-drug conjugates for solid tumors using its proprietary TMALIN tumor-microenvironment-activable linker-payload platform, serving global pharmaceutical partners through licensing of 14 clinical-stage ADC assets and the underlying platform technology.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersSuzhou, China
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Medilink Therapeutics does
Medilink Therapeutics (founded 2020, Suzhou, China) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing next-generation antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for the treatment of solid tumors. Its proprietary TMALIN (Tumor Microenvironment Activable LINker-payload) platform is built on a dual cleavage mechanism that releases payload both extracellularly in the tumor microenvironment and intracellularly in lysosomes, enabling homogeneous DAR8 ADCs with high systemic stability, tumor enrichment, and bystander effect activity. The platform supports a portfolio of 14 clinical-stage candidates across targets including B7H3 (YL201/tambotatug pelitecan), HER3 (YL202), NaPi2b (YL205), CDH17 (YL217), VEGF (YL242), c-Met (YL211), DLL3 (YL212), MSLN (YL215), EGFR (YL221), and PD-L1 (YL222), plus next-generation dual-payload (YL413) and bispecific PD-L1/VEGF (YL252) programs. Lead asset YL201 achieved the first positive Phase 3 result for any B7H3-targeted ADC worldwide in the TAISHAN-301 nasopharyngeal carcinoma trial in May 2026.
Medilink operates as an asset-light, partnership-driven biotech. Its revenue model rests on licensing and collaboration agreements with global pharmaceutical partners, generating upfront payments, development/regulatory/commercial milestones, and tiered royalties on net sales — including the $570M upfront and near-term Roche deal for YL201 (January 2026), the $70M BioNTech HER3 collaboration (October 2023), the $50M Roche YL211 deal (January 2024), and the $25M BioNTech TMALIN platform license (May 2024, with up to $1.8B in potential milestones). The company retains development and commercialization rights for mainland China across most programs while licensing ex-China rights to partners. R&D operations are distributed across Suzhou (headquarters and macro/micro molecule R&D), Shanghai, Waltham MA (US clinical development and business development), and Singapore.
Medilink's customer base is concentrated among global pharmaceutical partners — principally Roche and BioNTech as anchor licensors, complemented by AstraZeneca and Amgen for combination clinical studies and Zai Lab for additional platform licensing. The company holds four Breakthrough Therapy Designations (one FDA, three CDE) and three FDA Orphan Drug Designations for YL201, and was the only China-based company selected for the 2024 Endpoints 11 Award. Capital partners include LYFE Capital, Qiming Venture Partners, Apricot Capital, Loyal Valley Capital, Legend Capital, and Highlight Capital across a $50M Series A (March 2021) and $70M Series B (March 2022). Leadership was founded by former executives of Kelun-Biotech, Hansoh Pharmaceutical, and WuXi Biologics, with recent senior additions including CTO Dr. Weichang Zhou and CFO Jason Li.
Medilink Therapeutics firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Medilink Therapeutics
- Legal name
- MediLink Therapeutics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd.
- Website
- https://www.medilinkthera.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Medilink Therapeutics is a clinical-stage Chinese biotechnology company developing next-generation antibody-drug conjugates for solid tumors using its proprietary TMALIN tumor-microenvironment-activable linker-payload platform, serving global pharmaceutical partners through licensing of 14 clinical-stage ADC assets and the underlying platform technology.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Medilink Therapeutics industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Biopharmaceutical R&D and ADC Drug Development
- NAICS
- Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)
- SIC
- Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) & Antibody Conjugates (HLAAAAAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Antibody Discovery & Engineering Platforms (display tech, bispecifics, Fc engineering) (HLAAAIAB)
Keywords
Where Medilink Therapeutics is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Suzhou
- HQ country
- China
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices8 records
Markets served
Medilink Therapeutics business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Licensing and Milestone Payments: MediLink generates revenue through upfront payments, development milestones, regulatory milestones, and commercial milestones from licensing agreements with global pharmaceutical partners. The company also receives tiered royalties on net sales of approved products outside of China.
- Platform Technology Licensing: The company licenses its proprietary TMALIN ADC platform technology to pharmaceutical partners for development of ADC candidates against targets chosen by partners, generating upfront payments, milestone payments, and royalty streams.
- Strategic Collaboration Payments: Revenue from co-development arrangements where partners provide funding for clinical development in exchange for commercialization rights in specific territories.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Medilink Therapeutics product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Medilink Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company that develops next-generation antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for cancer treatment using its proprietary TMALIN (Tumor Microenvironment Activable LINker-payload) technology platform. The company advances 14 clinical-stage ADC candidates through in-house development and global licensing/collaboration partnerships with major pharmaceutical companies such as Roche, BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Amgen, and Zai Lab. Revenue is generated from upfront payments, development/regulatory milestones, and royalties on net sales from these licensing deals.
Product overview
MediLink Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing next-generation antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for cancer treatment. The company operates primarily through its proprietary TMALIN (Tumor Microenvironment Activable LINker-payload) technology platform, which enables generation of homogeneous high-DAR ADC candidates with improved therapeutic windows. The core product portfolio includes 14 clinical-stage ADC candidates targeting various antigens including B7H3 (YL201), HER3 (YL202), NaPi2b (YL205), CDH17 (YL217), VEGF (YL242), c-MET (YL211), DLL3 (YL212), MSLN (YL215), EGFR (YL221), and PD-L1 (YL222), as well as dual-payload (YL413) and bispecific ADC (YL252) platforms. The company has established global collaborations with major pharmaceutical partners including Roche, BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Amgen, and Zai Lab for various pipeline candidates. The TMALIN platform is complemented by DolaLock Technology and dual-payload/BsADC platforms for specialized applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- YL201 (tambotatug pelitecan, tam-peli) B7H3-targeting antibody-drug conjugate built on TMALIN platform with camptothecin payload. Being evaluated globally in multiple advanced solid tumors including small cell lung cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, Ewing sarcoma, chondrosarcoma, metastatic prostate cancer, and pancreatic cancer. Licensed to Roche for development outside Greater China.
- YL211 c-Met targeting antibody-drug conjugate for solid tumors, developed with Roche collaboration. Uses TMALIN platform with c-Met antibody. Phase I study initiated in US.
- YL202 (BNT326) HER3-targeting antibody-drug conjugate developed with BioNTech collaboration. Licensed to BioNTech for worldwide development and commercialization excluding Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau.
- YL205 NaPi2b-targeting ADC for ovarian cancer, powered by TMALIN platform. Demonstrates favorable safety and promising anti-tumor activity in ovarian cancer. Trial enrolling simultaneously in US and China.
- YL217 CDH17-targeting ADC for gastrointestinal malignancies including gastric, colorectal, pancreatic, and hepatocellular carcinomas. Uses TMALIN linker-payload platform for site-specific activation within tumor microenvironment.
- YL242 VEGF-targeting ADC using TMALIN platform. Non-internalized ADC targeting soluble VEGF for treatment of solid tumors. Phase I trial in preparation.
- ZL-6201 LRRC15-targeting ADC developed in partnership with Zai Lab using TMALIN platform. Antibody discovered by Zai Lab. IND expected to be filed in 2025.
- YL413 Dual-payload anti-HER2 ADC featuring topoisomerase I inhibitor plus tubulin inhibitor built on tumor microenvironment cleavable mechanism. Demonstrates robust efficacy in Enhertu-resistant and HER2-low expression tumor models.
- YL252 Dual-functional PD-L1/VEGF-targeted ADC powered by TMALIN platform, integrating immunotherapy, anti-angiogenesis, and cytotoxicity. Blocks PD-1/PD-L1 and VEGF/VEGFR pathways while delivering tumor killing.
- TMALIN Platform Technology Proprietary Tumor Microenvironment Activable LINker-payload platform. Utilizes dual cleavage mechanism (extracellular in tumor microenvironment and intracellular in lysosomes), enabling homogeneous high-DAR ADC with improved therapeutic window for solid tumors. Licensed to global pharmaceutical partners including BioNTech and Zai Lab.
Quantifiable outcome
- 68.1% ORR and 6.2 months mPFS in extensive-stage SCLC patients
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Medilink Therapeutics
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Medilink Therapeutics technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature9 records
Medilink Therapeutics partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, major and minor.
- RocheflagshipExclusive licensing agreement for YL201 (B7H3 ADC) for worldwide development and commercialization outside mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau. MediLink receives $570 million upfront and near-term milestones plus additional development, regulatory, commercial milestones and tiered royalties.
- AstraZenecamajorClinical collaboration to explore therapeutic potential of YL201 combined with Imfinzi (durvalumab) in solid tumors. Multicenter Phase I/Ib study to evaluate safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics.
- Zai LabmajorWorldwide license agreement to use MediLink's TMALIN platform for LRRC15 ADC (ZL-6201) consisting of antibody discovered by Zai Lab. Collaboration expands Zai Lab's global oncology pipeline.
- AmgenmajorGlobal clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement for YL201 combination with IMDELLTRA (DLL3/CD3 BiTE) in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer. Amgen leads global clinical study.
- BioNTechmajorMulti-target TMALIN ADC technology platform license agreement. BioNTech receives exclusive option to exclusive global license to apply MediLink's TMALIN platform for several novel targets. $25 million upfront, up to $1.8 billion potential milestone payments and royalties.
- RocheflagshipWorldwide collaboration and license agreement for YL211 (c-Met ADC) for development, manufacturing, and commercialization. MediLink receives $50 million upfront and near-term milestones, potentially up to $1 billion total deal value plus tiered royalties.
- Nona Biosciences (HBM Holdings)minorJoint development of HBM9033 (YL215, anti-Mesothelin ADC) using MediLink's TMALIN technology and Harbour Mice platform. Nona sublicensed the asset to Pfizer.
- BioNTechflagshipStrategic collaboration and worldwide license agreement for HER3 ADC (BNT326/YL202). MediLink grants exclusive global rights excluding Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau. BioNTech provides $70 million upfront and potential over $1 billion in milestones.
Scale indicators18 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Medilink Therapeutics competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Medilink Therapeutics social profiles
Digital presenceMedilink Therapeutics financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Medilink Therapeutics leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Medilink Therapeutics subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
Medilink Therapeutics funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Medilink Therapeutics M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Medilink Therapeutics
What does Medilink Therapeutics do?
Medilink Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company that develops next-generation antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for cancer treatment using its proprietary TMALIN (Tumor Microenvironment Activable LINker-payload) technology platform. The company advances 14 clinical-stage ADC candidates through in-house development and global licensing/collaboration partnerships with major pharmaceutical companies such as Roche, BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Amgen, and Zai Lab. Revenue is generated from upfront payments, development/regulatory milestones, and royalties on net sales from these licensing deals.
Is Medilink Therapeutics a public or private company?
Medilink Therapeutics is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Medilink Therapeutics founded?
Medilink Therapeutics was founded in 2020. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Medilink Therapeutics based?
Medilink Therapeutics is headquartered in Suzhou, China, in the Asia region.
How does Medilink Therapeutics make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Licensing and Milestone Payments are the primary driver. The others are platform Technology Licensing and strategic Collaboration Payments.
Does Medilink Therapeutics have an API?
No public API is recorded for Medilink Therapeutics.
What industry is Medilink Therapeutics in?
Medilink Therapeutics's product category is Biopharmaceutical R&D and ADC Drug Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAAAAAE, Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) & Antibody Conjugates, with a secondary code of HLAAAIAB, Antibody Discovery & Engineering Platforms (display tech, bispecifics, Fc engineering). Its NAICS code is 541714 and its SIC code is 2836.