Biotechnology company Abilita Therapeutics, Inc. announced on Wednesday a global licensing and research collaboration with Finnish Orion Corporation to develop next-generation antibody therapeutics targeting oncology and pain.

The partnership will utilize Abilita's Enabled Membrane Proteins (EMP) platform to address challenging MMP targets. Abilita will lead discovery and optimization, with Orion holding exclusive licensing options for development candidates.

Orion may license an initial Abilita discovery program and nominate two additional MMP targets under similar terms. Joint discovery efforts will be funded by Orion alongside upfront payments for each target. Abilita stands to earn up to USD785m in milestone payments and royalties from commercial sales.