Biocytogen Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd.’s wholly owned subsidiary, Eucure Biopharma Co. Ltd., licensed exclusive greater China rights to YH-008 to Chipscreen Biosciences Co. Ltd. in a ¥596 million (US$86 million) deal. Chipscreen subsidiary, Chipscreen Newway Biosciences Co. Ltd., will develop and commercialize the bispecific antibody in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
South Korean biotech peers Celltrion Healthcare Co. Ltd. and Liscure Biosciences Co. Ltd. signed a deal to co-develop microbiome-based oral live biotherapeutic products for Parkinson's disease.
Indicating its continuing strategy to invest in antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), Astrazeneca plc obtained exclusive global rights to Claudin 18.2 ADC CMG-901 from Keymed Biosciences Inc. and Lepu Biopharma Co. Ltd. in a deal worth up to $1.163 billion.
Innocare Pharma Ltd. said it is open to new collaborations after partner Biogen Inc. decided to terminate a global deal to develop and commercialize BTK inhibitor orelabrutinib, in development for multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases. Notice of the termination, disclosed in Biogen’s fourth-quarter 2022 financial report, was “based on the contract term of ‘terminate for convenience,’” Innocare told BioWorld. “We do not know their internal decision-making process.”
Harbour Biomed Holdings Ltd. licensed exclusive U.S. rights to B7H4 x 4-1BB bispecific immune activator HBM-7008 to Cullinan Oncology Inc. in a deal worth up to $625 million. China-based Harbour will obtain a $25 million up-front payment and is eligible to receive up to $600 million in development, regulatory and sales-based milestones, as well as tiered royalties of up to 20% on U.S. commercial sales.
Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. licensed its EZH2 inhibitor, SHR-2554, to Treeline Biosciences Inc. in a deal worth more than $700 million. Treeline will be granted worldwide exclusive rights to the lymphoma drug, except for greater China, in exchange for an up-front payment of $11 million, development milestone payments of up to $45 million, and milestone payments of up to $650 million based on annual net sales once commercialization begins.
Corbus Pharmaceuticals Holdings Inc. signed a back end-loaded licensing deal worth up to $692.5 million with CSPC Megalith Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd., for the latter’s Nectin-4-targeting antibody-drug conjugate CRB-701 (SYS-6002).
Zhimeng Biopharma Inc. found a global partner for its hepatitis B virus (HBV) program, licensing rights to GSK plc for CB-06, an oral small-molecule Toll-like receptor 8 agonist. Pending positive data from an ongoing phase I study, GSK will gain rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize the drug for chronic HBV infection, either for use in combination or as a sequential treatment with bepirovirsen.
In its first worldwide licensing deal in the cardiovascular space, Ji Xing Pharmaceuticals Ltd. acquired rights to preclinical-stage PB-6440, in development for diseases including hypertension, from Phasebio Pharmaceuticals Inc.
In a blow to Aussie regenerative medicine company Regeneus Ltd., Japan’s Kyocera Corp. has pulled out of a licensing deal for Regeneus’ lead mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy, Progenza, for osteoarthritis of the knee for the Japan market.