Exploring the Latest PD-L1/SIRPα Bispecific Antibody Deal by Elpiscience Biopharma: A Guide to Rapidly Accessing Transaction Insights

Recently, Elpiscience Biopharma Ltd. and Astellas Pharma, Inc. announced a joint collaboration and licensing agreement for the development of the novel Bispecific Macrophage Engager (BiME®) platform and the candidate drugs ES019 and another molecular project. The two parties will work together to complete the development of both projects. In addition, Elpiscience may grant Astellas the rights to co-develop two additional products; if Astellas exercises these rights, Elpiscience will grant them exclusive rights for further research, development, production, and commercialization of the related products. According to the terms of the agreement, Elpiscience will receive an upfront payment and option exercise fee of $37 million from Astellas. In addition, Elpiscience will also receive additional research and development funding from Astellas to advance project development. After Astellas exercises all its options, Elpiscience will be eligible to receive potential development, regulatory, and commercialization milestone payments totaling over $1.7 billion, as well as royalties on the global net sales of licensed products ranging from single to double-digit percentages.

About ES019

The drug [ES-019] is a bispecific antibody that targets PDL1 and SIRPα. It falls under the therapeutic area of neoplasms, specifically solid tumors. The drug is currently in the discovery phase, both globally and in China. The originator organization of this drug is Elpiscience Biopharma Ltd. Bispecific antibodies are a type of antibody that can simultaneously bind to two different targets. In the case of [ES-019], it targets both PDL1 and SIRPα. PDL1 is a protein found on the surface of cancer cells that helps them evade the immune system. By targeting PDL1, the drug aims to enhance the immune response against cancer cells. SIRPα, on the other hand, is a protein found on immune cells that interacts with a protein called CD47 on cancer cells. By targeting SIRPα, the drug aims to disrupt this interaction and promote immune cell-mediated killing of cancer cells. The drug [ES-019] is specifically indicated for the treatment of neoplasms, particularly solid tumors. Click the image below to directly embark on the exploration journey with the ES019!

Some studies showed that ES019 demonstrated better in vivo anti-tumor effects compared to the combination therapy of SIRPa and PD-L1 monoclonal antibody in animal models, and did not induce phagocytosis of T cells while activating T cells; furthermore, it demonstrated good pharmacokinetic properties in a mouse model.

About Elpiscience Biopharma Ltd.

Elpiscience Biopharma Ltd. is a relatively young organization in the pharmaceutical industry, having been founded in 2017. However, it has already made significant progress in drug development, particularly in the field of oncology. The company has a diverse portfolio of drugs targeting various therapeutic areas, indicating a commitment to addressing a wide range of medical conditions. The focus on specific targets such as OX40 suggests a strategic approach to drug development, potentially aiming to address unmet medical needs in specific disease areas. While the pipeline is still in the early stages, with most drugs in preclinical and early clinical phases, Elpiscience Biopharma Ltd. shows promise for future advancements in the biomedicine field.

Elpiscience is focused on innovative research in the tumor microenvironment. Leveraging the novel technology of BiME®, It is anticipated that by activating macrophages and reprogramming tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), this technology can alter the immunosuppressive state within the tumor microenvironment (TME). And it has the potential to provide new treatment options for cancer patients who do not respond to existing tumor immunotherapies.

How to get the latest progress on drug deals?

If you would like to access the latest transaction event information, you can click on the 'Deal' module from the homepage of the Synapse database. Within the Deal module, you can search for global pharmaceutical transaction information using labels such as Drugs, Organization, Target, Drug Type, Deal Date. 

Furthermore, you can obtain the original link to the transaction coverage by clicking on the "Deal Name."

In the analysis view, you can see the most active assignors, assignees, popular targets, and other dimensions of analysis, as well as the distribution of research and development statuses at the time of the transaction, to help you better understand the search results.

The Synapse database also supports the ability to view current transactions from the dimension of "drugs" (by selecting "drugs" from the "Adjust Dimension" dropdown menu above). Targeting transactions involving renowned pharmaceutical companies that are of interest to the industry, such as Merck, Roche, etc., Synapse has identified a group of "leading companies" through drugs that have achieved global sales exceeding 1 billion US dollars in 2022. Transactions involving drugs from these leading companies can be filtered by clicking on the "Leading Company" tag on the left-hand side.

In addition to the drug transaction module, you can also view related transaction history on the drug detail page and the institution detail page.

Click on the image below to embark on a brand new journey of drug discovery!