Halozyme
Corporate brand
UnclaimedHalozyme is a U.S. biotechnology company focused on recombinant human hyaluronidase technology, injectable drug delivery, and oncology research.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc., generally known as Halozyme, is an American biotechnology company headquartered in San Diego, California. Established in 1998 and publicly listed in 2004, the company has built its business around recombinant human hyaluronidase and related applications in drug delivery and oncology. Its central proprietary technology is rHuPH20, a recombinant form of human hyaluronidase. The enzyme temporarily breaks down hyaluronan in the extracellular space beneath the skin, allowing certain injected medicines to disperse and be absorbed more efficiently. Halozyme has developed this capability both as a product of its own and as a platform licensed to other pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. The company's principal commercial product is Hylenex recombinant, a human recombinant hyaluronidase injection approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December 2005. Hylenex is used to facilitate the administration and absorption of subcutaneous fluids and injected medicines and for subcutaneous urography. Unlike a conventional therapeutic brand aimed at a broad consumer market, Hylenex is a hospital, clinical, and professional-use product whose value lies in improving the delivery of other medicines or fluids. Halozyme's broader drug-delivery platform is called Enhanze. Enhanze uses rHuPH20 to support the conversion of selected medicines from intravenous administration to subcutaneous administration, as well as to enable changes in dose volume, administration time, and treatment convenience. Halozyme licenses the platform to biopharmaceutical companies, including Roche, Baxalta, Pfizer, Janssen, AbbVie, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Eli Lilly. These partnerships extend Halozyme's commercial reach beyond products marketed directly under the Halozyme name and make the company a technology supplier to larger pharmaceutical organizations. In addition to drug delivery, Halozyme has pursued oncology programs intended to modify the tumor microenvironment. Its best-known investigational program was PEGPH20, a pegylated form of rHuPH20 designed to break down hyaluronan accumulated in certain tumors. The program was intended to improve the penetration or activity of anticancer medicines and immune cells in tumors characterized by high levels of hyaluronan. Clinical studies examined PEGPH20 in pancreatic cancer and other solid tumors, including non-small-cell lung cancer, gastric cancer, and breast cancer, often in combination with established anticancer therapies. Halozyme also investigated earlier-stage oncology candidates such as PEG-ADA2, an engineered and pegylated adenosine deaminase 2 intended to reduce immunosuppressive adenosine in the tumor microenvironment, and HTI-1511, an anti-EGFR antibody-drug conjugate containing monomethyl auristatin E. These programs represented attempts to expand beyond enzyme-enabled drug delivery into direct therapeutic approaches against difficult-to-treat solid tumors. The company announced in November 2019 that it had halted development of PEGPH20, marking a major change in the oncology portion of its pipeline. Halozyme's identity therefore combines a commercial recombinant-enzyme product, a partnership-oriented drug-delivery platform, and an oncology research heritage, with Enhanze and related technology providing the clearest link between its scientific capabilities and its business model.
History
Halozyme was founded in 1998 in the United States as a biotechnology company built around the therapeutic and drug-delivery potential of recombinant human hyaluronidase. Its core scientific asset, rHuPH20, is an engineered recombinant version of a human enzyme that temporarily degrades hyaluronan in the tissue surrounding an injection site. Because hyaluronan can restrict the movement of fluids and large molecules through subcutaneous tissue, controlled use of hyaluronidase can help injected substances disperse and absorb more readily. The company entered the public markets in 2004. Its first major commercial milestone followed in 2005, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Hylenex recombinant. The product gave Halozyme a direct commercial presence in clinical medicine and established the company's enzyme technology as more than a research asset. Hylenex is used to support subcutaneous fluid administration, improve the dispersion and absorption of injected drugs, and assist in subcutaneous urography. Halozyme subsequently developed a second business path by separating the enzyme's delivery function from any single branded medicine. Through its Enhanze platform, the company licensed rHuPH20 technology to other biopharmaceutical developers. The platform is intended to help convert medicines administered intravenously into subcutaneous formulations or otherwise optimize the volume, duration, and convenience of injection. This partnership model enabled Halozyme's technology to be incorporated into programs owned and commercialized by larger pharmaceutical companies, including Roche, Baxalta, Pfizer, Janssen, AbbVie, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Eli Lilly. The company also pursued oncology applications. Halozyme's hypothesis was that hyaluronan accumulation in certain tumors contributes to a dense tumor microenvironment that limits the access of drugs and immune cells. PEGPH20, a pegylated version of rHuPH20, was designed to reduce hyaluronan in tumors with high hyaluronan content. Halozyme tested the candidate in several solid-tumor settings, including pancreatic cancer, non-small-cell lung cancer, gastric cancer, and breast cancer. Clinical development included combination studies with established treatments such as nab-paclitaxel, gemcitabine, pembrolizumab, and eribulin. The oncology research portfolio also included preclinical programs aimed at changing immune suppression or targeting tumor cells directly. PEG-ADA2 was designed to reduce the concentration of immunosuppressive adenosine in the tumor microenvironment, while HTI-1511 was an anti-EGFR antibody-drug conjugate using monomethyl auristatin E as its cytotoxic payload. These programs showed an effort to broaden Halozyme's scientific scope beyond delivery enzymes. On November 4, 2019, Halozyme announced that it had halted PEGPH20 development. That decision represented a significant turning point because PEGPH20 had been the company's most visible proprietary oncology candidate and had been evaluated across several tumor types. The company's business identity remained anchored in rHuPH20, Hylenex, and the Enhanze licensing model. In this structure, Halozyme serves both as a developer of branded biotechnology products and as an enabling-technology company whose platform can be incorporated into partner medicines.
- 2019
PEGPH20 development is halted
[1]Halozyme announces that it has stopped development of its PEGPH20 oncology candidate.
- 2014
Helen Torley becomes president and CEO
[1]Helen Torley begins serving as Halozyme's president and chief executive officer.
- 2005
FDA approval of Hylenex recombinant
[1]The U.S. FDA approves Hylenex recombinant, a human recombinant hyaluronidase injection.
- 2004
Public-market listing
[1]The company becomes publicly traded.
- 1998
Halozyme is founded
[1]Halozyme is established as an American biotechnology company focused on recombinant human hyaluronidase and related therapeutic applications.
Products and positioning
A biotechnology and drug-delivery company that commercializes recombinant human hyaluronidase while licensing its Enhanze platform to pharmaceutical partners and pursuing oncology applications.
Approved biologic and drug-delivery aid · 2005
Hylenex recombinant
Hylenex is a human recombinant hyaluronidase injection and Halozyme's FDA-approved branded product. It is indicated to facilitate subcutaneous fluid administration, improve the dispersion and absorption of injected medicines, and support subcutaneous urography. Its role is generally supportive: it modifies the tissue environment around an injection rather than acting as the primary therapeutic treatment for the underlying disease.
Drug-delivery platform
Enhanze
Enhanze is Halozyme's proprietary drug-delivery platform based on recombinant human hyaluronidase. By temporarily degrading hyaluronan in subcutaneous tissue, the technology can help partner companies formulate medicines for subcutaneous rather than intravenous administration, or optimize injection volume and dosing convenience. Halozyme licenses Enhanze to biopharmaceutical companies rather than treating it solely as a consumer-facing product brand.
Investigational oncology therapy
PEGPH20
PEGPH20 was a pegylated form of Halozyme's recombinant human hyaluronidase. It was designed to break down hyaluronan in tumors with high hyaluronan levels, with the aim of improving access for anticancer drugs and activated immune cells. The candidate was studied in pancreatic, lung, gastric, and breast cancer settings, including combination regimens. Halozyme halted its development in 2019.
Preclinical oncology candidate
PEG-ADA2
PEG-ADA2 was an engineered and pegylated recombinant adenosine deaminase 2 candidate intended to lower immunosuppressive adenosine concentrations in the tumor microenvironment. Reference material describes testing in preclinical colon, lung, and pancreatic cancer models.
Preclinical antibody-drug conjugate
HTI-1511 Anti-EGFR ADC
HTI-1511 was an anti-EGFR antibody-drug conjugate designed to target EGFR-positive tumors, including tumors carrying KRAS or BRAF mutations. Its payload was monomethyl auristatin E, a potent cytotoxic compound. Reference material describes preclinical evaluation in colon, lung, and cholangiocarcinoma models.
Brand decisions
2019
Termination of PEGPH20 developmentStrategyBackground
PEGPH20 had been studied as an oncology therapy intended to modify hyaluronan-rich tumor microenvironments across several solid-tumor indications.
Action taken
Halozyme announced on November 4, 2019, that it had halted development of PEGPH20.
Aftermath
The decision ended development of one of Halozyme's principal proprietary oncology candidates and reinforced the importance of the company's approved enzyme and partner-licensing activities.
2005
Commercialization of Hylenex recombinantProduct launchBackground
Halozyme's recombinant human hyaluronidase technology had reached regulatory review as a clinical drug-delivery product.
Action taken
The U.S. FDA approved Hylenex recombinant for use in subcutaneous fluid administration, injected-drug dispersion and absorption, and subcutaneous urography.
Aftermath
The approval gave Halozyme an approved branded product and a direct commercial application for its core enzyme technology.
Recent events
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