Dren Bio has entered into a strategic collaboration with
Novartis Pharma, a subsidiary of
Novartis, to create and develop therapeutic bispecific antibodies aimed at treating
cancer. This partnership will utilize Dren Bio’s innovative targeted myeloid engager and phagocytosis platform to generate these antibodies.
Under the terms of the agreement, Dren Bio will receive an initial payment of $150 million from Novartis, which includes a $25 million equity investment. Additionally, Dren Bio is poised to earn up to $2.85 billion in milestone payments contingent upon the achievement of specific preclinical, clinical, regulatory, and commercial objectives. The company will also benefit from royalty payments based on the sales of any products that result from this collaboration.
Both companies are set to advance targeted myeloid engager programs together, up to the point of selecting clinical candidates. Following this, Novartis will take on the roles of development, manufacturing, and commercialization of these candidates.
Shiva Malek, the global head of oncology at Novartis Biomedical Research, expressed optimism about the partnership with Dren Bio. Malek highlighted that the agreement offers a significant opportunity to discover new bispecific antibody therapies for cancer, leveraging Novartis’s extensive expertise in immuno-oncology science. Malek also noted that the collaboration aligns with Novartis’s broader strategic initiatives, which encompass a variety of treatment modalities such as targeted therapies, biologics, radioligand therapies, and CAR-T cells.
Dren Bio is dedicated to developing antibody-based therapeutics for cancer and other serious diseases. Its leading product, DR-01, is currently in a Phase II clinical trial for
cytotoxic lymphomas and is also being explored for potential use in treating
autoimmune conditions. The company’s platform is designed to produce bispecific antibodies that activate myeloid cells only when a specific target antigen is present, potentially offering a better safety profile compared to other therapies.
Among Dren Bio’s key programs is DR-0201, which is in a Phase I study focused on
diffuse large B cell lymphoma. This initiative showcases the company’s commitment to advancing bispecific antibody therapies through rigorous clinical testing.
Nenad Tomasevic, the CEO of Dren Bio, expressed enthusiasm about the new collaboration with Novartis. Tomasevic emphasized that combining Novartis’s proven capabilities in oncology drug development with Dren Bio’s innovative platform could pave the way for the development of significant new therapies for patients suffering from cancer.
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