LONDON – Self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) specialist Vaxequity Ltd. has sealed a commercialization deal with Astrazeneca plc after delivering safety data in a phase I/II trial of the technology in a COVID-19 vaccine.
Everest Medicines Ltd. has in-licensed a Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor for the treatment of renal diseases from Suzhou Sinovent Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. and Sinomab Bioscience Ltd. in a deal worth up to $561 million. Everest gained global rights to develop, produce and commercialize the candidate, XNW-1011.
While 2020 is certainly a hard year to beat, 2021 has so far recorded a respectable amount of biopharma deals and is on track to exceed every other year.
In a couple of deals worth more than $500 million, Everest Medicines Ltd. is picking up Asian rights to Providence Therapeutics Holdings Inc.’s mRNA candidates, including rights to a mRNA COVID-19 vaccine candidate currently in phase II testing.
Abbvie Inc. and Regenxbio Inc. have announced a partnership to develop and commercialize RGX-314, a potential one-time gene therapy for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD), diabetic retinopathy and other chronic retinal diseases. Under the terms of the agreement, Abbvie will pay Regenxbio $370 million up front, plus up to $1.38 billion in additional development, regulatory and commercial milestones. The deal gives '314 – already the most advanced gene therapy in wet AMD – another potential edge against its nearest competitor, Adverum Biotechnologies Inc.’s ADVM-022.
Proqr Therapeutics NV sealed a deal for genetic disorders in the liver and nervous system with Eli Lilly and Co., collecting $50 million in the form of an up-front payment ($20 million) and an equity investment ($30 million), with the prospect of about $1.25 billion more if the arrangement hits research, development and commercialization goals. “The milestones are pretty evenly spread out,” said Smital Shah, Proqr’s chief business and financial officer, though details weren’t provided.
Illumina Inc. and Merck & Co. Inc. are partnering to commercialize tests identifying genetic mutations used in the assessment of homologous recombination deficiency.
Diaccurate SAB has scooped a cancer drug from Germany’s Merck KGaA, transforming the small French biotech into a clinical-stage company. With expertise on its scientific advisory board from Nobel prize winner Tasuku Honjo, famously credited with the work establishing PD-1 as a target in immune-oncology, Diaccurate said it has fought off other competitors to acquire M-2698.
DUBLIN – With more than six months to go before an initial interim readout from its phase III pivotal trial of ilofotase alfa (recombinant human alkaline phosphatase) in sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI), AM-Pharma BV has already found a buyer for Japanese rights to the product. Kyowa Kirin Co. Ltd. is paying €20 million up front and could pay up to €225 million more in milestones attached to the progress of the program.
Sanofi SA has added to its general medicines portfolio with a $1.9 billion acquisition of Kadmon Holding Inc. and its recently-approved graft-vs.-host disease drug Rezurock (belumosudil).
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