AstraZeneca Pays $19M to Harbour BioMed's Nona for Cancer Antibodies

AstraZeneca, a prominent player in the pharmaceutical industry, has recently taken another significant step to bolster its oncology drug pipeline. Just days after outlining its ambitious goal to nearly double its revenue by the end of this decade, AstraZeneca has entered into a strategic partnership with Nona Biosciences, a subsidiary of Harbour BioMed.

Under the terms of the agreement, AstraZeneca will receive preclinical monoclonal antibodies developed by Nona Biosciences. In return, the Massachusetts-based biotech company will receive an initial payment of $19 million, with a near-term payment of $10 million anticipated. Additionally, Nona Biosciences could potentially earn up to $575 million in milestone payments, along with tiered royalties on any net sales that result from the collaboration.

The antibodies involved in this deal are to be generated through Nona's unique "Harbour Mice" technology. This innovative approach employs genetically engineered mice capable of producing heavy chain-only antibodies. These antibodies possess unique properties and have shown significant promise in targeted cancer therapies.

Jingsong Wang, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman of Nona Biosciences, commented on the collaboration, stating, "This agreement further validates our leading antibody discovery platform, and we look forward to developing these antibodies into potential new medicines for cancer patients." He also expressed his enthusiasm for working with AstraZeneca, a global leader in developing tumor-targeted therapies, to fully leverage the potential of their novel antibodies.

Despite the excitement surrounding the deal, the release provided limited information regarding the specific cancer targets that the newly licensed antibodies will focus on, nor the number of antibodies included in the agreement. However, it mentioned that AstraZeneca retains the option to invest further in additional programs if desired.

Puja Sapra, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Tumor Targeted Delivery within AstraZeneca's oncology R&D division, remarked on the potential of the partnership. "The global license agreement with Nona Biosciences offers an exciting opportunity to develop these innovative antibodies into new tumor-targeted therapies using AstraZeneca's industry-leading capabilities."

AstraZeneca has established itself as a dominant force in the oncology sector, with a 20% increase in cancer drug sales reported in 2023 alone. The company aims to sustain this momentum, highlighting several ongoing cancer programs in its recent investor presentation. These include late-stage candidates targeting prostate cancer (saruparib), breast cancer (camizestrant, Dato-DXd), and lung cancer (rilvegostomig, volrustomig).

Nona Biosciences, under the umbrella of Chinese antibody specialist Harbour BioMed, has also caught the eye of other major pharmaceutical companies. Over the years, Moderna has entered into several agreements with Nona, and in December 2023, Pfizer invested $53 million for a mesothelin-targeted antibody-drug conjugate.

This partnership between AstraZeneca and Nona Biosciences underscores the continuous drive within the pharmaceutical industry to advance cancer therapies. By combining AstraZeneca's expertise in tumor-targeted treatments with Nona's groundbreaking antibody technology, the collaboration holds promise for developing innovative oncological solutions that could significantly impact patient care.

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