PARTNERING
Sanofi will acquire Amunix for an upfront payment of approximately $1 billion and up to $225 million upon achievement of certain future development milestones. Amunix’s proprietary XTEN masks and cleavable linkers are a next-generation protein engineering approach that allows biologics to circulate in “stealth” mode, becoming active preferentially in disease specific micro-environments.
Amunix’s technology offers the potential to overcome challenges that have plagued the adoption of T-Cell Engagerbispecific antibodies for solid tumors, including unwanted immune attack of normal healthy cells and systematic immune system activation leading to side effects as cytokine release syndrome.
Immatics and BMS enter into global license for TCR bispecific program IMA401
Immaticsand BMS announced they have entered into a license, development and commercialization agreement for Immatics’ TCR Bispecific candidate, IMA401. Immatics will receive an upfront payment of $150 million as well as up to $770 million in development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments, in addition to tiered double-digit royalty payments on net sales of IMA401. Immatics retains the options to co-fund US development in exchange for enhanced US royalty payments and/or to co-promote IMA401 in the US.
IMA401 is the most advanced product candidate in Immatics’ TCR Bispecifics pipeline, called TCER (T Cell Engaging Receptors), in which one binding region targets MAGEA4/8, a highly prevalent antigen in multiple solid tumors, and the other region engages and activates T cells. In preclinical proof-of-concept studies, IMA401 has shown anti-tumor activity with complete remissions in various in vivo tumor models including patient-derived xenograft models.
The agreement outlines a development plan under which both companies will collaborate to advance the program through clinical development.
Novartis forges closed links with Beigene taking $1 billion option on TIGIT cancer drugs
Novartis has forged even stronger links with Beigene, taking an option on the latter’s late-stage TIGIT inhibitor cancer immunotherapy, ociperlimab, in a deal worth up to $1 billion. Novartis will pay Beigene $300 million upfront in the option, collaboration and license agreement plus up to $700 million if it exercises its option before late 2023. BeiGene would be eligible for another $1.9 billion in milestones, plus royalties.
Ociperlimab is being studied in Phase 3 for advanced NSCLC, and Novartis said it could be combined with the PD-1 inhibitor tislelizumab that Novartis has already bought rights to in North America, Europe and Japan in a $2.2 billion deal with Beigene.
Biosion licenses out anti-Trop2 humanized MAb to Obi Pharma
Obi Pharma acquired global rights to BSI-04702, an TROP2 humanized monoclonal antibody from Biosion. Obi is granted exclusive rights for further preclinical and clinical development, registration and commercialization of the candidate as ADC and other derivative products. Obi Pharma will pay licensing fees to Biosion, including upfront payment, future development milestones and net sales royalties. Specific terms were not disclosed.
BSI-04702 was created through Biosion's Syntracer HT-endocytosis platform, a high-throughput endocytosis screening application that can identify antibody candidates with high internalization rates. TROP2 is a protein located on the surface of cells.
Legochem licenses out its ADC compound to Iksuda in a $1 billion deal
Legochem Biosciences has licensed out its ADC LCB-14 to IksudaTherapeuticsin the duo’s latest deal that is worth $1 billion. Legochem will receive $50 million in an upfront payment and near-term milestones, and up to $950 million in developments, regulatory and commercial milestones. If Iksuda initiates a technology transfer to a third party during the drug’s development, Legochem will be entitled to a pre-determined portion of the upfront payment and all milestones.
LCB-14 is designed to treat HER2 cancers including breast, gastric, ovarian and urothelial cancers. It was developed using Legochem’sConjuall platform, which connects antibodies, linkers and efficient toxin release technologies to create ADCs. Legochem out-licensed LCB-14’s greater China rights to Fosun in 2015.
