Whitehawk Therapeutics Spotlights ADC Pipeline, Cash Runway at Aadi Bioscience Conference

CEO Dave Lennon highlights two clinical-stage programs and a third candidate expected to enter the clinic in 2026.

Published on Feb. 28, 2026

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Whitehawk Therapeutics CEO Dave Lennon outlined the company's antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) strategy and pipeline during an Annual Healthcare Conference presentation, highlighting two clinical-stage programs that are currently enrolling patients and a third candidate expected to enter the clinic later this year. Lennon said Whitehawk had $160 million in cash as of the end of the third quarter of the prior year, which he said provides a runway into 2028.

Why it matters

Whitehawk's ADC platform aims to improve upon previous ADC candidates by demonstrating greater tumor potency, stability, and safety margin in preclinical testing. The company's lead programs target PTK7 and MUC16, which have shown promise in prior clinical studies but were limited by toxicities.

The details

Whitehawk's first clinical program, HWK-007, is a PTK7-directed ADC. The second clinical program, HWK-016, targets MUC16 and is intended for gynecological cancers. Whitehawk's third program, HWK-206, is a biparatopic SEZ6-directed ADC. Lennon said Whitehawk is enrolling patients in phase I dose-escalation studies for HWK-007 and HWK-016, with clinical readouts expected in the first half of 2027.

  • Whitehawk launched in early 2025 after in-licensing a three-asset ADC portfolio from WuXi Biologics.
  • Whitehawk submitted an IND for HWK-016 in December 2025.
  • Whitehawk plans to file an IND for HWK-206 by mid-2026, with a phase I start planned for Q3 2026.
  • Whitehawk plans to release additional preclinical data packages supporting all three programs in the spring of 2026.

The players

Whitehawk Therapeutics

A clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for cancer treatment.

Dave Lennon

The CEO of Whitehawk Therapeutics who outlined the company's ADC strategy and pipeline during the Aadi Bioscience Conference presentation.

Pfizer

A pharmaceutical company that previously developed a first-generation PTK7 ADC, cofetuzumab pelidotin, which showed promising initial efficacy but was limited by toxicities.

Genentech

A biotechnology company that previously developed a MUC16-targeted ADC, DMUC4064A, which showed a 42% response rate in phase I ovarian cancer studies but was ultimately discontinued due to safety concerns.

AbbVie

A biopharmaceutical company that is developing a competing SEZ6-directed ADC, ABBV-706.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

The takeaway

Whitehawk's ADC platform aims to improve upon previous candidates by demonstrating greater tumor potency, stability, and safety margin in preclinical testing. The company's lead programs targeting PTK7 and MUC16 have shown promise in prior clinical studies but were limited by toxicities, and Whitehawk is now advancing these candidates with the goal of delivering better therapeutic outcomes for cancer patients.