March 20, 2015
By
Alex Keown
, BioSpace.com Breaking News Staff
BEIJING –
Eli Lilly and Company
inked a $456 million deal with Chinese drugmaker
Innovent Biologics, Inc.
to develop and market three cancer treatments over the next 10 years, the companies announced Friday.
The agreement, one of the broadest collaborations with a Chinese biotech company, creates possible new treatment options for cancer patients, while strengthening the presence of both companies in the Chinese oncology market.
Alfonso Zulueta
, president of
Eli Lilly
’s emerging markets division, said the deal with
Innovent
“further reinforces our focus to develop collaborative networks to advance research and clinical development in emerging markets.”
Under the terms of the deal there are four major components. First,
Eli Lily
will contribute its cMet monoclonal antibody gene for possible treatment of non-small cell lung cancer however; continue the development of its cMet monoclonal antibody program outside of China.
Innovent
will contribute its monoclonal antibody targeting protein CD-20 for investigation in hematologic malignancies.
Currently
Innovent
has received investigational new drug approval in China to begin Phase I development for this potential therapy.
Innovent
will also contribute a pre-clinical immuno-oncology molecule for development in China. Lastly,
Eli Lilly
wil receive the rights to develop and market up to three pre-clinical bispecific immuno-oncology molecules outside of China.
Innovent
will receive a $56 million upfront payment from
Eli Lilly
, with a possible additional $400 million in milestone payments should the drugs reach certain developmental and sales stages.
The partnership between the companies strengthens both drugmakers oncology presence in China.
Eli Lilly
has an established oncology pipeline that includes both small molecules and monoclonal antibodies, which are being studied to treat a wide range of cancers including breast, colorectal, liver and non-small cell lung.
Innovent
is the first Chinese company to form the type of collaboration the company developed with
Eli Lilly
, said
Michael Yu
,
Innovent
CEO.
Eli Lilly
has been making inroads into the Asian market by creating partnerships with area drugmakers. In addition to the deal with
Innovent
,
Eli Lilly
also inked a $690 million deal with Korea-based
Hanmi Pharmaceutical, Co., Ltd
to developing
Hanmi
’s Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, HM71224, which is used in the treatment of autoimmune diseases.
Last month
Eli Lilly
pledged $1million commitment to the
Ampath Oncology Institute
in Kenya to hire additional staff and train healthcare professionals to screen, treat, and provide palliative care to more of the 3.5 million people who live in the region
BioSpace Temperature Poll
After
Amgen Inc.
said last week that it will close its South San Francisco facility acquired during its $10 billion buyout of
Onyx Pharmaceuticals
and
will lay off 300
of
Oynx
’s 750 workers,
BioSpace
is wondering—will the number of mergers and acquisitions completed in 2014 mean a “streamlining” of biotech jobs in the Bay Area? Tell us your thoughts.
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