Asia Deal Watch: Astellas Seeks Pantherna’s Assistance On mRNA-Based Regenerative Medicine
Executive Summary
Plus deals involving OliPass/Vanda, Simcere/Almirall, Sinopharm/Merck & Co., Jiuzhou/Sandoz, Zai Lab/Seagen, Sciwind/SynderK, Hansoh/KiOmed.
Scrip regularly covers business development and deal making in the biopharmaceutical industry. Asia Deal Watch is supported by deal intelligence from Biomedtracker.
Astellas, Pantherna Expand mRNA Reprogramming Research
Astellas Pharma, Inc. and private German venture Pantherna Therapeutics GmbH announced on 3 October that they had entered into a new technology evaluation agreement for research to generate mRNA-based regenerative medicine programs using direct reprogramming, also known as transdifferentiation.
The agreement expands the scope of a technology evaluation agreement for research which the partners entered into in 2021 to include a new (unspecified) target organ. Financial details were not disclosed. (Also see "Deals Shaping The Medical Industry, November, 2021" - In Vivo, 28 Dec, 2021.)
Pantherna's platform uses lipid nanoparticles for selective delivery and expression of proprietary therapeutic mRNA molecules (PTXmRNAs), enhancing efficiency in tissues including the endothelium. Under the new agreement, the platform will be combined with Astellas's discovery capabilities to progress regenerative medicines using direct reprogramming, which involves direct conversion of the fate of cells without passing through a pluripotent state.
Astellas will provide drug discovery ideas, prepare candidate compounds for technology evaluation and perform developmental research, while Pantherna will be responsible for providing technical information and development support.
Vanda, OliPass Will Partner On Antisense R&D
Vanda Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and OliPass Corporation unveiled a collaboration on 29 September to jointly develop a set of antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) molecules based on the latter’s proprietary modified peptide nucleic acids. The partnership will focus on editing and modifying gene expression using ASOs in disease states where the expression of genes is either altered or the sequence of the expressed genes can be altered for therapeutic benefit, the companies said.
The South Korean firm’s OliPass Peptide Nucleic Acids (OPNA) technology provides a delivery platform to enable gene-expression modifications. Vanda has identified two ASO targets that have been validated in cell lines that model two undisclosed disease targets, one rare orphan and the other applicable to a broad set of immuno-oncological conditions, and now wants to take these preclinical findings to in vivo and clinical testing.
Simcere Out-Licenses Preclinical Autoimmune Asset To Almirall
Hong Kong-listed Simcere Pharmaceutical Group on 29 September said it has out-licensed SIM0278, which is in the preclinical development for autoimmune diseases, to Almirall SA, according to a stock filing. Simcere will receive $15m up front and up to $492m in development and commercial milestone payments. It can also realize sales milestones, as well as tiered royalties based upon future sales of the drug candidate.
Barcelona-headquartered Almirall will be granted an exclusive right to develop and commercialize SIM0278 outside of Greater China. SIM0278 is an interleukin 2 mutant fusion protein (IL-2 mu Fc) and will potentially be developed as a subcutaneous injection to treat various autoimmune diseases.
Merck Teams Up With Sinopharm To Commercialize Lagevrio In China
Merck & Co., Inc. has signed a cooperation framework agreement with Sinopharm Group Co. Ltd. to grant the Chinese company the rights to commercialize and exclusively import Lagevrio (molnupiravir) in China, the companies said in a statement on 28 September. Lagevrio, co-developed by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics LP, is an RNA polymerase inhibitor for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19.
The partnership will take effect after the oral antiviral is approved in China, according to the agreement. Financial details were not disclosed. Merck and Sinopharm also said that they would evaluate the feasibility to transfer the manufacturing technologies for Lagevrio to China National Biotec Group (CNBG), a subsidiary of Sinopharm.
Jiuzhou To Acquire A Sandoz Manufacturing Facility In China
Shanghai-listed Zhejiang Jiuzhou Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), said on 28 September that it planned to take over a manufacturing facility currently owned by Sandoz China in Zhongshan city for $15m, according to a company stock filing.
Jiuzhou, a key supplier to Sandoz Pharma Ltd.’s parent company Novartis AG, added that it would rebuild the Zhongshan facility for its growing CDMO business with the additional funds that it had raised in 2021. The acquisition is expected to provide the Chinese company with a quicker access to ready-to-use facility, Jiuzhou added.
Seagen Finds Greater China Partner For Tivdak In Zai Lab
One day after licensing a bispecific gamma delta T-cell engager from Lava Therapeutics NV, Seagen Inc. announced a collaboration and license agreement with Zai Lab Ltd. on 27 September for the development and commercialization of Tivdak (tisotumab vedotin-tftv) in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. (Also see "Seagen Digs Deep For Lava’s Bispecific Antibody" - Scrip, 26 Sep, 2022.)
Under the agreement, Seagen gets an upfront payment of $30m and can realize development and regulatory milestones up to $78m, commercial milestones up to $185m and tiered double-digit sales royalties.
An antibody-drug conjugate, Tivdak obtained US Food and Drug Administration approval for the treatment of recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer with disease progression on or after chemotherapy in September 2021. (Also see "Seagen, Genmab See Broad Cervical Cancer Opportunity For Tisotumab Vedotin" - Scrip, 20 Sep, 2021.) Under the terms of a previous co-development and co-commercialization agreement between Seagen and Genmab A/S, all proceeds from the Zai Lab deal will be shared 50/50 with Genmab.
Seagen said its collaboration with Zai Lab will also support patient enrollment in Greater China for the Phase III InnovaTV 301 trial of patients with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer.
Sciwind, SynerK Partner On Novel RNAi Therapies
Metabolic disease-focused Sciwind Biosciences Co., Ltd. and SynerK unveiled a research partnership on 26 September to jointly discover and develop new therapeutics for unmet medical needs based on small interfering RNA (siRNA). No financial terms were disclosed.
China-based Sciwind and US biotech SynerK will work together to identify new therapeutic targets in disease biology for a broad range of liver and metabolic diseases and to discover and develop novel siRNA therapeutics against these targets.
Hansoh Gets Commercial Rights To KiOmed’s Knee Osteoarthritis Therapy
Hong Kong-listed Hansoh Pharmaceutical Group Company Limited in-licensed KioMedinevsone, a carboxymethyl chitosan injection that has been launched in Europe for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis, from KiOmed Pharma on 26 September. The Belgian firm will receive an upfront payment and be eligible to earn development, regulatory and commercial milestones of up to €66m ($63m), as well as tiered royalties on future product sales.
Hansoh will get exclusive rights to develop and commercialize KioMedinevsone and its future extensions in mainland China, Macau and Taiwan. KiOmed retains the right to develop and commercialize KioMedinevsone in all other global markets.
Stay tuned for the next edition of Asia Deal Watch. You can read more about other deals that have been covered in depth by Scrip and Generics Bulletin in recent days below:
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(Also see "Myovant Spurns Sumitovant Offer, Remains Open To Higher-Value Deal" - Scrip, 3 Oct, 2022.) |
Sumitovant offered $22.75 per share in cash, valuing Myovant at $2.4bn total, to acquire what it does not hold as a result of its 2019 agreement to buy majority shares of five Roivant companies. |
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(Also see "Torrent’s $245m Curatio Deal Gives Pole Position In Fast-Growing Cosmetic Dermatology" - Scrip, 30 Sep, 2022.) |
Torrent’s $245m acquisition of Curatio Healthcare has moved it up a rank to No.7 in the overall Indian pharmaceutical market apart from making it the market leader in cosmetic dermatology. While it’s a pricey deal, factors like growing prevalence of skin diseases and shift towards e-commerce bode well for future revenue growth in a nascent market. |