Yahoo · Sep 10, 2026
Medicus Pharma secures Pfizer ADC deal, advances SkinJect and precision oncology strategy
Medicus Pharma CEO Dr Raza Bokhari joined Steve Darling from Proactive to discuss a transformative agreement with Pfizer that significantly strengthens the company’s position in precision oncology and provides key resources to advance its lead cancer program. Under the development and licensing agreement, Medicus has secured rights to a CD228-targeted antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) program, while Pfizer is contributing approximately $2 million in development funding, along with inventory and infrastructure support. Bokhari described the transaction as a major milestone that effectively provides the company with the resources needed to continue development from where Pfizer concluded its Phase 1 dose-escalation work. The CD228-targeted ADC is being developed for the treatment of solid tumors, including refractory melanoma, and now represents the centerpiece of Medicus’ evolving oncology strategy. Bokhari said the agreement allows the company to move forward with a capital-efficient approach while leveraging the extensive scientific and clinical groundwork already completed by Pfizer. Beyond oncology, Medicus continues to make progress with its SkinJect program, which is focused on the treatment of basal cell carcinoma and related conditions. Bokhari noted that final clinical trial results recently published on ClinicalTrials.gov identified the 200-microgram patch as the optimal dose for future registrational studies. The company is now concentrating its efforts on advancing SkinJect in patients with Gorlin syndrome, a rare genetic condition that can lead to the development of multiple basal cell carcinomas throughout a patient’s lifetime. Medicus is preparing to move forward with the FDA-approved pivotal SkinJect 005 study while simultaneously recruiting patients for the trial. At the same time, Bokhari said the company is positioning the broader nodular basal cell carcinoma opportunity for potential out-licensing, allowing Medicus to focus internal resources on the areas where it sees the strongest risk-adjusted return. To support the commercial potential of SkinJect, Medicus commissioned an independent reimbursement analysis that suggests the treatment could potentially achieve reimbursement levels of $25,000 or more per patient. Bokhari noted that the rare disease and potential pediatric disease characteristics associated with Gorlin syndrome could provide attractive regulatory and commercial advantages. He described SkinJect as “partner-ready” and indicated that the company is actively exploring opportunities to unlock additional value through strategic partnerships. Bokhari characterized the Pfizer agreement as a paradigm shift for Medicus, transforming the company into a precision oncology-focused biotechnology business while maintaining a disciplined approach to capital allocation. He compared the strategy to a Berkshire Hathaway-style model for drug development, where resources are selectively deployed into programs with the highest potential returns. #proactiveinvestors #nasdaq #mdcx #tsxv #mdcx #pharma #SkinJect #Pfizer #PrecisionOncology #Biotech #CancerResearch #ADC #Melanoma #DrugDevelopment #ClinicalTrials #SkinJect #GorlinSyndrome #Biotechnology #HealthcareInnovation #Oncology #LifeSciences
