AstraZeneca has bagged a cardiovascular disease candidate from China's CSPC Pharma in a deal potentially worth $2 billion. Astellas is shuffling its cell therapy research team and investing in a dementia gene therapy candidate. And more.
1. AstraZeneca pays CSPC $100M for preclinical heart disease drug, teeing up combos and Lilly rivalry
AstraZeneca paid China’s CSPC Pharma Group $100 million and committed up to $1.92 billion in milestones for a preclinical oral disruptor of Lp(a), a form of low-density lipoprotein. AZ sees opportunities to develop the drug, YS2302018, as a single agent and in combination with assets including its PCSK9 inhibitor in cardiovascular disease.
For its cell therapy research unit, Universal Cells, Astellas is establishing a second location. The new site of the Seattle organization will be based in Astellas’ research campus in Tsukuba, Japan. As part of the move, Astellas is transferring 12 former Seattle-based roles, while another 12 will be eliminated.
3. Astellas pays $50M for option on AviadoBio's dementia gene therapy
Continuing its investments in cell and gene therapy, Astellas paid British biotech AviadoBio $50 million in equity and upfront cash for global rights to an AAV-based gene therapy candidate for dementia. The asset, AVB-101, is being evaluated in a phase 1/2 trial in frontotemporal dementia with progranulin mutations. The deal also includes up to $2.18 billion in license fees and milestones.
4. BeiGene launches PD-1 drug Tevimbra at 10% discount to Merck's Keytruda
BeiGene has launched its PD-1 inhibitor Tevimbra in the U.S. at a roughly 10% discount to Merck & Co.’s Keytruda and Bristol Myers Squibb’s Opdivo. Currently approved as a second-line therapy for esophageal cancer, Tevimbra comes with a wholesale acquisition cost of about $15,075 per month, a BeiGene spokesperson said.
5. Ono links with LigaChem to bag preclinical ADC in $700M biobuck deal
Ono Pharmaceutical has in-licensed a solid tumor antibody-drug conjugate targeting L1CAM from LigaChem Biosciences, formerly LegoChem Biosciences. The deal is worth up to $700 million, plus tiered royalties. The two companies have separately inked a collaboration to generate novel ADC candidates using LigaChem’s ConjuAII platform.
6. Roche will boost in-China production for local market, CEO says (Bloomberg)
Roche is increasing its manufacturing capacity for diagnostics and medicines in China to specifically serve the country amid U.S.-China geopolitical tensions. CEO Thomas Schinecker called the move “China for China” production, although he noted that Roche won’t move everything to China so it can be completely independent. For medicines, the in-country focus is on fill and finish.
Other News of Note:
7. InnoCare's TYK2 inhibitor shows potential to rival Sotyktu in Chinese phase 2 psoriasis trial
8. SK biosciences pays $3M for stake in conjugate vaccines specialist Fina Biosolutions (release)