Japan’s Astellas Pharma Inc. is continuing its investment in gene therapies, following up its $3 billion acquisition of Audentes Therapeutics Inc. with a technology licensing deal with Dyno Therapeutics Inc. potentially worth more than $1.6 billion. Central to the deal is Cambridge, Mass.-based Dyno’s adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector technology, which can be used to direct gene therapies to skeletal and cardiac muscle.
Ildong Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. inked a partnership with Shionogi & Co. Ltd. to co-develop S-217622, the latter’s orally administered 3CL protease inhibitor treating COVID-19 and has obtained an IND for a phase II/III trial in South Korea to enroll more than 200 patients who are asymptomatic or suffering from mild to moderate COVID-19.
Zenas Biopharma LLC in-licensed the global right to develop, manufacture, and commercialize the antibody obexelimab from Xencor Inc. to treat autoimmune diseases in a deal worth up to $480 million. Under the agreement, Monrovia, Calif.-based Xencor gained the rights to acquire additional shares in U.S. and China-based Zenas, which will bring its total equity up to 15%.
Bright Peak Therapeutics Inc. has licensed rights to use Livzon Mabpharm Inc.’s anti-PD-1 candidate, LZM-009, to develop its own PD-1 targeted immunocytokines (PD-1 ICs). Bertolt Kreft, chief scientific officer for Bright Peak, told BioWorld that Livzon’s phase II anti-PD-1 “exhibits a promising initial safety and efficacy profile, making it well-suited to the task.
Bristol Myers Squibb Co. has completed a $20 million equity investment in Compugen Ltd., part of an ongoing expansion a collaboration between the companies to combine their medicines for the potential benefit of patients with solid tumors.
Sotio Biotech AS has licensed Legochem Biosciences Inc.’s technology for five new antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) in a deal that could bring the latter over $1 billion. Prague, Czech Republic-based Sotio will have the rights to deploy Legochem’s Conjuall and potent linker-payload platform, including multiple different payloads, for five therapeutic programs targeting solid tumors and combine its proprietary antibodies with it.
LONDON – Sosei Heptares is to get $100 million up front in a potential $2.6 billion deal with Neurocrine Biosciences Inc., in which the pair will develop muscarinic receptor agonists in the treatment of schizophrenia, dementia and other neuropsychiatric disorders. San Diego-based Neurocrine is taking rights to a portfolio of small molecules against specific subtypes of the muscarinic receptor family, targeting M1 and M4 alone, plus a dual M1/M4 agonist.
I-Mab Biopharma Co. Ltd. formed a partnership with Hubei Jumpcan Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. in a deal worth up to ¥2.016 billion (US$315.2 million) to develop, manufacture and commercialize recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) eftansomatropin alfa (TJ-101) in mainland China.
Curacle Co. Ltd. is training its sights on more partnerships after nabbing a licensing and collaboration agreement with Théa Open Innovation, a subsidiary of Laboratoires Théa SAS. The deal, for CU06-RE, Curacle’s oral treatment for diabetic macular edema and wet age-related macular degeneration (wet-AMD), includes $6 million up front for Curacle and as much as $157.5 million in potential development, regulatory and sales milestones, as well as royalties on sales.
Aptose Biosciences Inc. has bought over the worldwide rights to Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.’s myeloid kinome inhibitor in a deal worth up to $420 million. Seoul, South Korea-based Hanmi has granted Aptose exclusive worldwide rights to HM-43239 for all indications. The candidate was developed for relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia.
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