Cellpoint B.V. has picked up U.S and European rights to a chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) therapy from Shenzhen Pregene Biopharma Co. Ltd. Cellpoint will develop and commercialize the candidate, PRG-1801, for the treatment of hematological indications.
U.S. private equity group Carlyle is extending its reach into biotech financing through the acquisition of London-based venture capital firm Abingworth, with which it is forming Launch Therapeutics, an operating company that will fund and manage late-stage clinical development of programs sourced from pharma and biotech companies. The move will enable further scaling of the clinical co-development model Abingworth first devised in 2009.
Harbour Biomed Therapeutics Ltd. has out-licensed a preclinical bispecific antibody, HBM-7022, to Astrazeneca plc in a global licensing deal worth up to $350 million.
Everest Medicines Ltd. has formed a partnership with China Resources Pharmaceutical Group (CR Pharma) to co-launch an independent company to focus on the development of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines. The new entity will take over rights Everest obtained through a collaboration with Providence Therapeutics Holdings Inc. They include the full technology platform and Everest’s mRNA manufacturing infrastructure.
Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc and Werewolf Therapeutics Inc. signed a licensing pact that could be worth more than $1.26 billion, assigning Jazz exclusive global development and commercialization rights to Werewolf's preclinical cancer prospect, WTX-613, a conditionally activated interferon (IFN)-alpha molecule known as an Indukine that emerged from Werewolf’s Predator protein engineering platform.
Pfizer Inc., with pockets bulging from COVID-19 vaccine money, is taking another step in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) development with its acquisition of Reviral Ltd.
Biosion Inc. has out-licensed ex-China rights for its anti-Siglec-15 monoclonal antibody BSI-060T and additional preclinical assets with the same target to Pyxis Oncology Inc. for $10 million up front and potential milestone payments of up to $222.5 million, plus single to low double-digit royalties on commercial sales.
There’s a growing renewal of interest in CDK9 as a therapeutic target, including by two companies adding to the momentum with a $150 million deal. Sellas Life Sciences Group and Genfleet Therapeutics Inc. entered an exclusive license agreement granting Sellas rights to develop and commercialize the small molecule CDK9 inhibitor GFH-009 outside mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
Innovent Biologics Inc. has acquired exclusive rights to commercialize Eli Lilly and Co.’s oncology drugs Cyramza (ramucirumab) and Retsevmo (selpercatinib) in mainland China, where it will be responsible for the pricing, importation, marketing, distribution and sales of the two products.
The deal that could bring IGM Biosciences Inc. more than $6 billion is 2022’s largest and cracks the BioWorld top 10 list as the ninth biggest ever. Sanofi SA and IGM agreed to develop, manufacture and commercialize immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody agonists in treating cancer and immunology/inflammation targets. IGM is getting $150 million up front once the deal closes, which the company expects to happen in the second quarter of 2022.