Compugen Ltd. has entered another collaboration, this time exclusively licensing a preclinical antibody program against an IL-18 binding protein with Gilead Sciences Inc. Compugen will handle ongoing preclinical development and a phase I study of COM-503 to treat tumors, then Gilead receives to sole right to further continue developing the asset. Compugen is getting an up-front $60 million and is eligible for a $30 million milestone payment should the IND clear in 2024. Compugen also is eligible for $758 million in development, regulatory and commercial milestones, putting the deal value at $848 million.
South Korea’s GC Biopharma Corp. has gained U.S. FDA approval for its immune-deficiency plasma drug, Alyglo (immune globulin intravenous, human-stwk; IVIG-SN 10%), five months after refiling its BLA and before its PDUFA date of Jan. 13, 2024.
Chinese patients will soon have wider access to newly approved cancer drugs following the publication of the 2024 National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL) that added 126 new drugs to the list. Price cuts to drugs averaged 61.7%. The additions and cuts are in line with the previous year.
South Korean pharmaceuticals Celltrion Inc. and Cyron Therapeutics Co. Ltd. are teaming up to discover and develop bispecific and trispecific antibodies, collectively called polyspecific antibodies, under the ₩1.158 trillion (US$882.38 million) joint research agreement inked on Dec. 6. Under the terms, privately held Daegu-based Cyron will discover and develop at least three polyspecific antibodies for blood and solid cancers pre-selected by Incheon-based Celltrion via Cryon’s CD-3 targeting T-cell engager platform that helps engage T cells to attack cancer cells.
As South Korea awaits potential changes to drug pricing policies for generics and novel ultra-expensive therapies like Novartis AG’s Kymriah (tisagenclecleucel), the domestic pharmaceutical industry is proactively voicing concerns about some policies that could do more harm than good.
Systimmune Inc. and Bristol Myers Squibb Co. have joined hands in a co-development deal for bispecific antibody drug conjugate (ADC) BL-B01D1 in a deal worth up to $8.4 billion. The deal falls on the heels of BMS acquiring Mirati Therapeutics in October 2023 for $4.8 billion to add to its oncology pipeline.
Systimmune Inc. and Bristol Myers Squibb Co. have joined hands in a co-development deal for bispecific antibody drug conjugate (ADC) BL-B01D1 in a deal worth up to $8.4 billion. The deal falls on the heels of BMS acquiring Mirati Therapeutics in October 2023 for $4.8 billion to add to its oncology pipeline.
Samsung Bioepis Co. Ltd. will partner with South Korean biotech Intocell Inc. to develop antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) drugs, continuing the Samsung Group and the wider industry’s hunt for novel ADCs. Under the joint research agreement inked on Dec. 5, the Daejon-based ADC platform technology firm Intocell will supply the Songdo, Incheon-based Samsung Bioepis its linker technology, coined OHPAS, or ortho-hydroxy protected aryl sulfate, upon which Samsung Bioepis will develop ADC drugs for up to five cancer targets.
Abbisko Therapeutics Co. Ltd. has out-licensed China rights to its colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor inhibitor, pimicotinib, to Merck KGaA in a deal worth up to $605.5 million. Pimicotinib is in phase III trials in patients with tenosynovial giant cell tumors in China, the U.S., Canada and Europe.
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