Kyorin Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has out-licensed its preclinical candidate, KRP-M223, and its back-up compounds to Novartis Pharma AG in a deal worth up to $777.5 million. Under the terms, Novartis gains an exclusive worldwide license to develop, manufacture and commercialize Kyorin-discovered KRP-M223.
Ellipses Pharma Ltd. has agreed to in-license global rights to GENA-104, a first-in-class immuno-oncology monoclonal antibody that targets CNTN4, from Genome & Co. Ltd. Targeting CNTN4 is a new approach that blocks the CNTN4-APP checkpoint interaction on T cells, promoting tumor cell killing, with potential use in cancers that respond poorly to conventional checkpoint inhibitors.
Tevogen Bio Holdings Inc. has expanded its relationship with Microsoft Corp. to broaden their AI-focused collaboration and build its Predictcell technology for predictive precision T-cell targeting.
A year after its $175 million IPO in 2024, Arrivent Biopharma Inc. picked up rights to develop and commercialize Lepu Biopharma Co. Ltd.’s antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) candidate, MRG-007, worldwide excluding the greater China region.
Immvention Therapeutix Inc. has entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Novo Nordisk A/S to co-develop oral therapies for sickle cell disease and other chronic conditions.
Arrivent Biopharma Inc. has entered into an exclusive license agreement with Lepu Biopharma Co. Ltd. for MRG-007, an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) in development for gastrointestinal cancers.
About four years after launch, Orna Therapeutics Inc. signed its second major deal, this time validating the lipid nanoparticle delivery technology it acquired through its Renagade Therapeutics Inc. buyout in May 2024, with Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. seeking next-generation approaches for hemoglobinopathies.
Ibio Inc. has expanded its cardiometabolic and obesity treatment development program by in-licensing a long-acting anti-myostatin antibody from Astralbio Inc. The antibody, now named IBIO-600, was identified by Astralbio using Ibio’s proprietary technology stack.
Kaken Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.’s license agreement with Johnson & Johnson (J&J) for signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)6 inhibitor KP-723 could presage further deals in STAT6, where a number of developers are active. Kaken’s arrangement with J&J involves the global development, manufacturing and sale of KP-723, which has reached the preclinical stage. Tokyo-based Kaken will take the drug through phase I trials, after which J&J takes over.