Medilink Therapeutics (Suzhou) Co. Ltd. has entered into a worldwide collaboration and license agreement with F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. for the development of YL-211, a next-generation antibody-drug conjugate candidate targeting proto-oncogene c-Met for solid tumors.

Elpiscience Biopharma Ltd. is out-licensing to Astellas Pharma Inc. two preclinical bispecific macrophage engagers – ES-019, an anti-PD-L1/SIRPα bispecific antibody, and another unnamed program – in a deal worth up to $1.7 billion. The deal marks the Shanghai-based company’s first out-licensing deal, Elpiscience CEO Darren Ji told BioWorld, noting that Astellas will have global rights to both molecules with a potential to in-license two more.

Nearly two years after Novartis AG signed a $1.7 billion deal for options to Voyager Therapeutics Inc.’s adeno-associated virus capsids for central nervous system disorders, the Basel, Switzerland-based company secured rights to develop gene therapies for Huntington’s disease and spinal muscular atrophy in a licensing agreement potentially worth $1.3 billion.

Voyager Therapeutics Inc. has entered into a strategic collaboration and capsid license agreement with Novartis Pharma AG, a subsidiary of Novartis AG, to advance potential gene therapies for Huntington’s disease and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

Elpiscience Biopharma Ltd. is out-licensing to Astellas Pharma Inc. two preclinical bispecific macrophage engagers – ES-019, an anti-PD-L1/SIRPα bispecific antibody, and another unnamed program – in a deal worth up to $1.7 billion. The deal marks the Shanghai-based company’s first out-licensing deal, Elpiscience CEO Darren Ji told BioWorld, noting that Astellas will have global rights to both molecules with a potential to in-license two more.

Pluri Inc. has signed an agreement assigning the joint patent rights to develop its PLX cells for the treatment of cocaine addiction to BIRAD-Research & Development Company Ltd., the commercial arm of Bar-Ilan University.

Replay Holdings LLC has entered into an exclusive, worldwide license agreement with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for intellectual property related to a library of T-cell receptors (TCRs) directed against multiple cancer neoantigens.

Gilead Sciences Inc. has signed an agreement with Compugen Ltd. to exclusively license Compugen’s preclinical antibody program against IL-18 binding protein, including the COM-503 drug candidate. COM-503 is a high affinity antibody which blocks the interaction between IL-18 binding protein and IL-18, thereby inhibiting cancer growth.