Oncotelic (OTLC) partners with TechForce to commercialize PDAOAI-enabled GMP robotics
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Oncotelic Therapeutics entered a Joint Development, Manufacturing, and Licensing Agreement with TechForce Robotics on March 31, 2026 to co-develop AI-enabled, GMP-compliant robotic systems for pharmaceutical manufacturing. The product integrates TechForce’s robotic hardware with Oncotelic’s proprietary PDAOAI platform.
All AI-related foreground intellectual property and data generated by the product will be owned exclusively by Oncotelic, while TechForce owns its standalone hardware innovations and jointly developed IP is jointly owned. Commercial revenue terms, including revenue sharing and royalties, will be set later in a separate Commercialization and Licensing Agreement, and neither party may begin revenue-generating activities without mutual written consent.
The agreement uses project-based funding with milestone payments, allows either party to terminate for convenience on 60 days’ notice, and restricts TechForce for 12 months after termination from licensing the jointly developed IP for pharma manufacturing without Oncotelic’s approval. Oncotelic issued a press release on April 2, 2026 announcing the strategic partnership.
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Insights
Strategic but early-stage AI–robotics partnership; economic impact depends on future commercialization terms.
Oncotelic Therapeutics is formalizing its move into AI-enabled GMP robotics through a joint development and licensing agreement with TechForce Robotics. The structure keeps AI-related foreground intellectual property and all product-generated data exclusively with Oncotelic, which can strengthen its long-term platform value.
Economic details such as revenue sharing, royalty rates, and profit splits are deferred to a future Commercialization and Licensing Agreement, so financial impact is not yet defined. The current agreement focuses on development governance, milestone-based funding, and IP boundaries rather than immediate revenue.
Protective clauses—like 60-day termination rights and a 12-month post-termination restriction on TechForce licensing the jointly developed IP into pharma manufacturing—help safeguard Oncotelic’s positioning in this niche. Subsequent filings describing finalized commercialization terms will be important to understand scale and profitability of this initiative.
8-K Event Classification
Key Figures
Key Terms
GMP-compliant technical
PDAOAI Platform technical
foreground intellectual property financial
milestone payments financial
revenue sharing financial
forward-looking statements regulatory
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
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| Title of class | Trading Symbols | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
| N/A | OTLC |
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| Item 1.01 | Entry Into Material Definitive Agreement. |
On March 31, 2026, Oncotelic Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into a Joint Development, Manufacturing, and Licensing Agreement (the “Agreement”) with TechForce Robotics, Inc. (“TechForce”), a Nevada corporation. The Agreement establishes a framework for the joint development, and manufacturing of AI-enabled, GMP-compliant robotic systems for use in pharmaceutical and related manufacturing environments. The integrated product to be developed (the “Product”) combines TechForce’s robotic hardware with the Company’s proprietary PDAOAI Platform.
The Agreement includes a non-exclusive license of certain Company intellectual property, including the PDAOAI platform. All AI-related foreground intellectual property developed under the Agreement, including improvements to the PDAOAI Platform, is and shall be owned exclusively by the Company. Robotic hardware developments created solely by TechForce are owned exclusively by TechForce. Intellectual property jointly developed by both parties is and shall be jointly owned. All data generated through the operation, deployment, and testing of the Product is and shall be owned exclusively by the Company. Any commercial licenses associated with the Product shall be defined in the Commercial and Licensing License to be executed prior to the first commercial sale.
The Agreement contemplates joint development funding and cost sharing based on individual statements of work agreed between the parties, with milestone payments based on acceptance criteria. Revenue sharing, royalty rates, and profit-sharing terms applicable to commercial sales or deployments of the Product will be negotiated and set forth in the Commercialization and Licensing Agreement. Pending that agreement, no revenue-generating activities related to the Product may be initiated by either party without the prior written consent of the other.
Either party may terminate the Agreement for convenience upon sixty (60) days’ written notice. For twelve (12) months following expiration or termination, TechForce may not license or otherwise provide third parties with access to the jointly developed intellectual property for use in the pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical manufacturing industry, without prior written approval from the Company.
The foregoing description of the Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Agreement, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.
| Item 8.01 | Other Events. |
On April 2, 2026, the Company issued a press release (“Press Release”) announcing that the Company and TechForce had entered into the Agreement. A copy of the Press Release is included as Exhibit 10.2 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.
| Item 9.01 | Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
(d) Exhibits.
| Exhibit No. | Description | Filed on | ||
| 10.1 | Joint Development, Manufacturing and Licensing Agreement | |||
| 99.1 | Press Release | |||
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) |
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SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| Oncotelic Therapeutics, Inc. | ||
| Date: April 2, 2026 | By: | /s/ Vuong Trieu |
| Vuong Trieu | ||
| Chief Executive Officer | ||
| -3- |
Exhibit 99.1
Oncotelic Therapeutics Announces Strategic Partnership with TechForce Robotics to Commercialize PDAOAI-Enhanced GMP Robotics Platform
Los Angeles, CA – April 2, 2026 – Oncotelic Therapeutics, Inc. (“Oncotelic” or the “Company”), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on oncology and AI-driven solutions, today announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with TechForce Robotics, Inc. (“TechForce”) to advance the commercialization of its PDAOAI-enabled, GMP-compliant robotics platform.
This milestone reflects the culmination of several years of research and development efforts, resulting in an integrated platform designed to combine Oncotelic’s proprietary PDAOAI capabilities with TechForce’s robotics hardware and manufacturing expertise.
The system under development is designed to operate within GMP-regulated environments and is intended to enable automated material handling, real-time monitoring, and PDAOAI-enhanced compliance workflows across pharmaceutical manufacturing and related applications.
Key Highlights of the Commercialization:
| ● | Integrated AI + Robotics Platform: Combines Oncotelic’s PDAOAI capabilities with TechForce’s scalable robotics systems to automate critical operational workflows. | |
| ● | GMP-Compliant Design: Designed to support regulatory requirements, including data capture, audit readiness, and validation frameworks (IQ/OQ/PQ). | |
| ● | Operational Efficiency & Compliance: Intended to reduce human intervention, minimizes contamination risk, and enhances process consistency through real-time monitoring and intelligent automation. | |
| ● | Scalable Manufacturing Capability: Designed to leverage TechForce’s hardware expertise and manufacturing network to support commercial deployment and future growth. |
“This commercialization represents a significant step forward in bridging PDAOAI and automation within regulated pharmaceutical environments,” said Dr. Vuong Trieu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Oncotelic. “After years of development, we are now positioned to advance transformative solution toward commercialization that can enhance compliance, reduce operational risk, and improve efficiency across the industry.”
Ried Floco, President of TechForce Robotics, added, “Our collaboration with Oncotelic demonstrates the power of combining advanced AI with purpose-built robotics systems. With our manufacturing and deployment capabilities, we are now working toward scaling this solution for real-world applications.”
The platform supports automated material handling, integrated vision and monitoring systems, PDAOAI-Enhanced deviation detection, and generation of time-stamped documentation aligned with GMP requirements. The system is designed to continuously improve through data-driven insights and operational feedback loops.
This announcement follows the execution of a joint development, manufacturing, and licensing agreement between the parties, establishing a framework for ongoing collaboration, production scaling, and commercialization of PDAOAI-Enhanced robotic systems.
Market Opportunity
As regulatory scrutiny intensifies and pharmaceutical manufacturers seek to reduce reliance on manual processes, PDAOAI-Enhanced automation is emerging as a critical layer for real-time compliance. Oncotelic believes this platform is well-positioned to address growing demand for intelligent, scalable, and compliant solutions across pharmaceutical manufacturing and other regulated industries.
About Oncotelic Therapeutics
Oncotelic Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of oncology and immunotherapy products. The Company’s mission is to address high-unmet-need cancers and rare pediatric indications with innovative, late-stage therapeutic candidates.
In addition to its directly owned and developed drug pipeline, Oncotelic benefits from the robust portfolio of inventions created by its CEO, Dr. Vuong Trieu, who has filed over 500 patent applications and holds 75 issued U.S. patents. Beyond its internal programs, the Company also licenses and co-develops select drug candidates through joint ventures. Currently, Oncotelic owns 45% of GMP Bio, a joint venture under Dr. Trieu’s leadership and guidance, which is advancing its own pipeline of drug candidates that further complement and strengthen Oncotelic’s strategic position in oncology and rare disease therapeutics.
For more information, please visit: www.oncotelic.com
Oncotelic Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements in this release other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking and are based on current expectations, estimates, and projections about our business and future plans. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “believe,” “estimate,” “project,” “forecast,” “potential,” “continue,” and similar expressions (including the negative of such terms).
Forward-looking statements in this release include, without limitation: our plans, timelines, and priorities for the OT-101 program in PDAC and other indications; potential biomarker-driven development strategies; the advancement, scope, timing, and results of current or future preclinical and clinical studies; regulatory interactions and potential approvals; development or commercialization of any product candidates within the Oncotelic/GMP Bio/Sapu ecosystem; the utility of our PDAOAI platform; future financings, strategic transactions, and/or public offerings involving our joint ventures or affiliates; and other statements that are not historical facts. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including, but not limited to: the competitive market of AI-enabled robotics; the inherent uncertainties of drug discovery and development; our ability to enroll patients and complete studies on expected timelines; whether preclinical or early clinical findings (including biomarker associations) will be replicated in larger, controlled trials; regulatory developments in the United States and other jurisdictions; competitive developments; our ability to obtain or maintain intellectual property protection; our liquidity and access to capital; the performance of collaborators, suppliers, and manufacturers; and other risks described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the “Risk Factors” section of our most recent Form 10-K and subsequent periodic reports.
Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise such statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.
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Filing Exhibits & Attachments
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