Abbisko Therapeutics Co. Ltd. and Allist Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. signed an exclusive licensing deal that gives Allist rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize Abbisko’s ABK-3376, an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor for $188 million plus royalties.

Confo Therapeutics NV is banking an up-front payment of $40 million from a licensing deal with Eli Lilly and Co. involving its lead asset, CFTX-1554, an oral inhibitor of the angiotensin II type 2 receptor, which is in phase I development for neuropathic pain. The deal includes up to $590 million more in potential milestones and tiered sales royalties. Ghent, Belgium-based Confo could also secure a further $590 million in additional milestones should Indianapolis-based Lilly elect to take forward an antibody-based inhibitor directed against the same target.

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.

Olympus Corp. has acquired Taewoong Medical Co. Ltd. in a $370 million deal to expand its gastrointestinal (GI) endotherapy product portfolio.

Antibody specialist Jounce Therapeutics Inc. and Redx Pharma plc are to merge in an all-share transaction with a value of $425 million, in a deal that will see Redx’s small-molecule cancer and fibrosis drugs absorbing the lion’s share of the combined cash and its shareholders owning 63% of the combined company.

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.