Gilead highlights Tubulis ADC ovarian cancer data as validation of buyout decision

Gilead Sciences executive leadership, including CMO Dietmar Berger and oncology clinical head Mika Derynck, have pointed to strong Phase I/II data for Tubulis’ TUB-040 in platinum‑resistant ovarian cancer as evidence that Gilead’s $3–5 billion acquisition of Tubulis was a sound strategic move.

Updated results from the Napistar 1‑01 trial were presented at ASCO 2026 and show TUB‑040 shrank tumors in 61% of 46 patients treated at higher dose levels (1.67–3.3 mg/kg), with median progression‑free survival of 11 months—substantially above the roughly 5 months seen with standard‑of‑care chemotherapy.

TUB‑040 is a NaPi2b‑directed topoisomerase‑I inhibitor (TOPO1i) antibody‑drug conjugate (ADC) that Gilead now intends to advance into a potential Phase 3 registration‑enabling study in platinum‑resistant ovarian cancer, with ongoing discussions with the FDA on trial design.

Although the safety profile of TUB‑040 is dominated by nausea and fatigue, approximately 42% of patients experienced grade 3 or higher neutropenia and 18–27% had significant anemia or thrombocytopenia; however, Gilead contends these toxicity rates are lower than those of many competing ADCs, which may facilitate combination with platinum‑based chemotherapy in earlier lines of therapy.