A roundup of bio/pharmaceutical partnering news from AstraZeneca/CSPC, Regeneron/Hansoh Pharma, Teva/Fosun Pharma, GSK/Bharat Biotech, and Astellas/Mitsubishi Research Institute. 

* AstraZeneca, China’s CSPC in $5.3-Bn AI Drug-Development Pact
* Regeneron, Hanosh Pharma in $2.01-Bn Deal for GLP-1/ GIP Obesity, Diabetes Drug
* Teva, Fosun in Immuno-Oncology Drug Pact 
* GSK Licenses Shigella Vaccine Candidate to Bharat Biotech 
* Astellas, Mitsubishi Research Institute Partner To Support Japan-based Startups 

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AstraZeneca, China’s CSPC in $5.3-Bn AI Drug Development Pact 
AstraZeneca has entered a strategic research collaboration with CSPC Pharmaceuticals Group, a Shijiazhuang City-China-based bio/pharmaceutical company, to discover and develop oral drug candidates across multiple diseases, in a deal worth up to $5.3 billion ($110 million upfront and $5.2 billion in milestone payments). 

Under the agreement, AstraZeneca and CSPC will discover and develop pre-clinical candidates for multiple targets with the potential to treat diseases across chronic indications, including a pre-clinical small-molecule oral therapy for immunological diseases. The research will be carried out by CSPC, in Shijiazhuang City and will use its proprietary drug-discovery platform, which uses AI to analyze the binding patterns of target proteins with existing compound molecules and conduct targeted optimization for small molecules.  

Under the agreement, CSPC will receive an upfront payment of $110 million, and is also eligible to receive up to $1.62 billion in potential development milestone payments and up to $3.6 billion in sales milestone payments, plus potential single-digit royalties based on annual net sales of the products. AstraZeneca will have rights to exercise options for exclusive licenses to develop and commercialize worldwide candidates identified under the agreement., 

Source: AstraZeneca 

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Regeneron, Hanosh Pharma in $2.01-Bn Deal for GLP-1/ GIP Obesity, Diabetes Drug 
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, a Tarrytown, New York-based bio/pharmaceutical company, has entered an agreement with Hansoh Pharmaceuticals, a Hong Kong-based bio/pharmaceutical company, to acquire exclusive clinical development and commercial rights outside of the Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau for a GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist, in a deal worth up to $2.01 billion ($80 million upfront and $1.93 billion in milestone payments). The therapeutic candidate (HS-20094) is in a Phase III trial in obesity in China and a Phase IIb study in diabetes.  

Under the agreement, Regeneron will make an upfront payment to Hansoh of $80 million, with potential additional payments of up to $1.93 billion for achievement of development, regulatory and sales milestones. Future potential royalties for global net sales outside of the designated territories would be in the low double digits. The agreement is subject to customary closing conditions, including applicable regulatory agency clearances under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 in the United States. 

Source: Regeneron 

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Teva, Fosun in Immuno-Oncology Drug Pact 
Teva Pharmaceutical has entered an agreement with Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical, a Shanghai-based bio/pharmaceutical company, for developing an investigational immuno-oncology drug candidate, TEV-56278.  TEV-56278 is an anti-PD-1 antibody-cytokine fusion protein in Phase I for treating various forms of cancer, including melanoma. 

Under the agreement, Fosun Pharma is granted an exclusive license to develop, manufacture, and commercialize TEV-56278 in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and select Southeast Asian countries. Teva retains all development, manufacturing, and commercialization rights to the licensed molecule in the rest of the world.  

Source: Teva Pharmaceutical 

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GSK Licenses Shigella Vaccine Candidate to Bharat Biotech 
GSK has licensed its Shigella vaccine candidate, altSonflex1-2-3, to Bharat Biotech, a Hyderabad, India-based bio/pharmaceutical company. Shigellosis is an acute infection of the large intestine caused by the bacteria, Shigella. 

The agreement will facilitate the ongoing development and potential distribution of the vaccine in low-and-middle–income countries where Shigella is the leading bacterial cause of diarrhea. 

Following technology transfer, GSK will collaborate with Bharat on the design of a Phase III trial and support Bharat’s efforts to secure external funding. This collaboration builds on GSK’s existing relationship with other India-based biotech companies in global health measures, including a product transfer and license agreement in 2021 for its malaria vaccine, RTS,S. 

Source: GSK 

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Astellas, Mitsubishi Research Institute Partner To Support Japan-based Startups 
Astellas has entered an agreement with Mitsubishi Research Institute, a Japanese research institute, to provide drug-discovery start-ups in Japan with support in their efforts to go global.  

The new support represents multiple programs under Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare’s Medical Innovation Support Office (MEDISO), which facilitates promising drug-discovery start-ups to commercialize their intellectual property.  

The new partnership looks to leverage the strengths of both entities. MRI will draw from its previous MEDISO work, supporting over 1200 hundred start-up and academic ventures, and design specific support programs for participants. Astellas Pharma will provide drug-discovery start-ups participating in the acceleration program conducted through MEDISO with access to laboratory and office space at SakuLabTM-Tsukuba, located on the premises of the Astellas Tsukuba Research Center.  

Source: Mitsubishi Research Institute