BDCA2

Payments to Biogen will be spread over six quarters. Credit: PeopleImages via Getty Images. Royalty Pharma has signed a deal to pay Biogen $250m to support the development of its late-stage experimental lupus medication litifilimab. In return, Royalty Pharma will receive undisclosed milestone payments if the drug meets certain regulatory goals, as well as mid-single-digit royalties on worldwide sales. Payments up to $250m to Biogen will be spread over six quarters, Royalty said in the announcement. Litifilimab, an anti-BDCA2 antibody, is being evaluated in Phase III trials for both systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE). Biogen will use the funds to continue development, with trial results expected in 2026 and 2027. The market for SLE remains largely dominated by generic drugs, with few targeted biologics approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the last 50 years . These include GSK’s Benlysta (belimumab) and AstraZeneca’s Saphnelo (anifrolumab). The market for CLE, however, has seen even less innovation. CLE is a form of lupus that primarily affects the skin, leading to inflammation, rashes, and lesions, though it can sometimes be linked to SLE. Litifilimab showed promising results in the Phase II LILAC study (NCT02847598), where it significantly reduced skin disease activity in people with CLE compared to placebo as measured by the primary endpoint. If approved, the drug could generate up to $750m in global sales by 2030, according to GlobalData’s Pharma Intelligence Center. GlobalData is the parent company of Pharmaceutical Technology. This agreement expands Royalty’s portfolio, adding to a series of deals that the company has struck over recent years. This includes transactions with BridgeBio Pharma, ImmuNext, Cytokinetics and Agios Pharmaceuticals. Royalty’s deal with ImmuNext provided it with access to royalties and milestones on a drug to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) under development with Sanofi. Royalty also holds rights on Biogen’s MS medication Tysabri (natalizumab) and spinal muscular atrophy drug Spinraza (nusinersen), acquired through agreements with Ionis and Perrigo. The deal coincides with Biogen’s latest earnings report, in which the company exceeded Q4 2024 expectations due to cost-cutting measures and new product launches, including its Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi (lecanemab). However, Biogen expects reduced profits this year, citing currency fluctuations and competition in the MS market. The biotech also announced the discontinuation of four drug development programmes: a Phase II asset for diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain and three Phase I neurodegenerative disease candidates. Biogen hit the headlines last month when Sage Therapeutics rejected its $469m takeover offer, with the company’s board of directors unanimously concluding that the bid “significantly undervalues” the company. Made earlier this year, the proposal offered $7.22 per share, a 30% premium on Sage’s share price at the time. Sage responded by suing Biogen to “enforce a standstill agreement” between the two companies. Biogen currently co-markets Sage’s postpartum depression drug Zurzuvae (zuranolone).

With litifilimab, Biogen is going after the type 1 interferon signature by inhibiting BDCA2.\n Biogen has bagged $250 million to advance a key pipeline prospect. Royalty Pharma is providing the cash to bankroll phase 3 development of a lupus candidate that Biogen has named in a bunch of assets with potential peak sales of $14 billion.The candidate, the anti-BDCA2 antibody litifilimab, is in phase 3 development in systemic and cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SLE/CLE). There is unmet need in both diseases. SLE patients have limited choices, with GSK’s Benlysta and AstraZeneca’s Saphnelo the only options, but that is rich pickings compared to CLE. Physicians have been waiting decades for an advance in the treatment of the cutaneous disease.Biogen believes litifilimab can address the unmet needs. But, with a pipeline of other programs—including two other lupus assets—to develop, the biotech has opted to seek external money to fund phase 3 trials in SLE and CLE.Royalty is providing the money, agreeing to drip-feed Biogen $250 million over six quarters in exchange for regulatory milestones and mid-single-digit royalties on annual worldwide sales. Royalty, a buyer of biopharmaceutical royalties, already receives a cut of the sales of Biogen’s Tysabri and Spinraza. The firm secured those royalties through deals with Ionis and Perrigo rather than directly from Biogen. Biogen has prioritized its pipeline under CEO Christopher Viehbacher, helping it cut R&D spending by 17% last year. The Royalty deal supports ongoing cost management while still allowing Biogen to attempt to bring litifilimab to market.Viehbacher talked up litifilimab’s prospects on an earnings call in October, including the asset among a clutch of candidates that the CEO said could collectively generate peak sales of $9 billion to $14 billion. CLE is an untapped opportunity. Litifilimab will face competition if it comes to market in SLE, potentially from Biogen’s own dapirolizumab, but Viehbacher sees room for multiple molecules.“This is a complex disease that affects different organs at a time,” Viehbacher said at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference last month. “I think it\'s going to be a little like MS. You\'re really going to decide which product is best at which point in time for every patient. And so I don\'t think this is one product for the whole disease.”Dapirolizumab inhibits the CD40 ligand to reduce activation of B and T cells and downregulate interferon. With litifilimab, Biogen is going after the type 1 interferon signature by inhibiting BDCA2 in the plasma delta. The biotech is aiming to file for approval of litifilimab in SLE and CLE from 2027 to 2029.

UCB and Biogen reported encouraging topline findings from the Phase III PHOENYCS GO trial, which assessed dapirolizumab pegol, a novel Fc-free anti-CD40L drug candidate, in individuals with moderate-to-severe SLE. The promising outcomes with dapirolizumab pegol signify significant advancements in creating treatments that can enhance the quality of life for individuals with lupus, a condition that continues to have considerable unmet medical needs, particularly impacting women. LAS VEGAS, Oct. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Systemic lupus erythematosus is a long-lasting autoimmune disorder that can impact various areas of the body. Lupus arises when the immune system, typically responsible for defending against infections and illnesses, mistakenly targets the body's own tissues. This misguided response leads to inflammation and, in some instances, lasting damage to tissues, potentially affecting a wide range of organs including the skin, joints, heart, lungs, kidneys, blood cells, and brain. As per the estimates, the prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus in the United States is approximately 500K cases in 2023. In females, prevalence rates are observed to be much greater than that of males, constituting more than 90% of the total prevalent cases in the US. In 2023, among the treated SLE patients, nearly 40% of patients became relapsed or refractory after the first line of therapy. The main goals of SLE treatment are to alleviate symptoms, prevent or reduce organ damage and disease flare-ups, minimize drug toxicity, and improve the patient's overall quality of life. The SLE treatment plan primarily includes antimalarial medications (like hydroxychloroquine), glucocorticoids (such as prednisone or similar), immunosuppressive drugs (including methotrexate, azathioprine, or mycophenolate), and biologics, in addition to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for managing inflammation and pain. Biologics are specifically used for patients who do not respond to standard treatments or for those with severe, organ-threatening diseases. Currently, the biologics approved by the US FDA as adjunct therapies for SLE patients are BENLYSTA and SAPHNELO. In contrast, the use of rituximab for treating SLE is considered off-label. Learn more about the FDA-approved SLE drugs @ Drugs for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Treatment BENLYSTA (belimumab) is a fully human monoclonal antibody that targets and inhibits BLyS (B-lymphocyte stimulator), a protein found at elevated levels in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus and lupus nephritis. By binding to soluble BLyS, BENLYSTA prevents the prolonged survival of B cells, including autoreactive B cells, and reduces their differentiation into plasma cells that produce immunoglobulins. However, BENLYSTA does not directly bind to B cells. First approved by the US FDA in 2011, it is the only biologic therapy approved for the treatment of active SLE and LN in more than 50 years, including for pediatric patients. SAPHNELO (anifrolumab) is a fully human monoclonal antibody and the first of its kind, targeting subunit 1 of the type I interferon (IFN) receptor to inhibit type I IFN activity. Type I IFNs, including IFN-alpha, IFN-beta, and IFN-kappa, are cytokines that play a role in the inflammatory pathways associated with systemic lupus erythematosus. Most adults with SLE exhibit increased type I IFN signaling, which correlates with greater disease activity and severity. SAPHNELO has been approved for the treatment of SLE in over 60 countries, including the US, EU, and Japan, with ongoing reviews in additional regions. To know more about SLE treatment options, visit @ New Treatment for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus SLE pipeline possesses some drugs in mid and late-stage developments to be approved in the near future. The emerging landscape holds a diverse range of therapeutic alternatives for treatment, including Litifilimab (Biogen), Ianalumab (Novartis), Cenerimod (Idorsia/Viatris), Dapirolizumab pegol (UCB/Biogen), Telitacicept (RC18) (RemeGen), and others in different lines of treatment. The expected launch of these therapies shall further create a positive impact on the market. Discover which therapies are expected to grab major SLE market share @ Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Market Report Dapirolizumab pegol is a novel investigational treatment, consisting of a humanized, Fc-free antigen-binding (Fab') fragment conjugated with polyethylene glycol (PEG). It works by inhibiting CD40L signaling, which has been shown to reduce B cell activation, decrease autoantibody production, limit type 1 interferon (IFN) secretion, and suppress the activation of T cells and antigen-presenting cells (APCs). In September 2024, UCB and Biogen announced that the Phase III PHOENYCS GO trial achieved its primary goal, showing clinical improvements in patients with moderate-to-severe systemic lupus erythematosus. Additionally, key secondary endpoints, assessing disease activity and flare-ups, also demonstrated clinical improvements. Following the positive results from the PHOENYCS GO study, UCB and Biogen are launching a second Phase 3 trial of dapirolizumab pegol in 2024, named PHOENYCS FLY. Participants from the PHOENYCS GO study will continue to be monitored in a long-term open-label extension. Biogen is working on developing Litifilimab (BIIB059), an experimental humanized monoclonal antibody. This antibody specifically targets and binds to blood dendritic cell antigen 2 (BDCA2), a receptor found on plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs). When BDCA2 is engaged, it inhibits the production of type I interferons (IFN-I) and other inflammatory molecules. BDCA2 is exclusively expressed on the surface of human pDCs. Litifilimab acts as an inhibitor of B-cell lymphocyte stimulator. Currently, Biogen is conducting Phase III clinical trials to evaluate its use for treating SLE. Ianalumab, developed by Novartis, is an antibody aimed at the B-cell activating factor receptor (BAFF-R). It is designed to inhibit BAFF-R signaling and deplete B cells through antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. The drug is currently undergoing a Phase III clinical trial for systemic lupus erythematosus, with the company expecting to submit it for approval by 2027, according to a recent presentation. Cenerimod is an oral, once-daily tablet that acts as a highly selective modulator of the sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1P1). Although the exact cause of systemic lupus erythematosus is not fully understood, T and B lymphocytes are believed to be the primary immune cells involved in the disease's progression. These cells express the S1P1 receptor on their surface. In February 2024, Idorsia Pharmaceuticals formed a major global research and development partnership with Viatris to advance and commercialize two Phase III assets, selatogrel and cenerimod, on a global scale. Discover more about drugs for SLE in development @ Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Clinical Trials The anticipated launch of these emerging therapies for SLE are poised to transform the market landscape in the coming years. As these cutting-edge therapies continue to mature and gain regulatory approval, they are expected to reshape the SLE market landscape, offering new standards of care and unlocking opportunities for medical innovation and economic growth. DelveInsight estimates that the market size for SLE is expected to grow from USD 3.2 billion in 2023 with a significant CAGR by 2034. This growth is mainly driven by ongoing clinical research and better diagnostic tools that might improve the prognosis of the disease. DelveInsight's latest published market report titled as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Market Insight, Epidemiology, and Market Forecast – 2034 will help you to discover which market leader is going to capture the largest market share. The report provides comprehensive insights into the SLE country-specific treatment guidelines, patient pool analysis, and epidemiology forecast to help understand the key opportunities and assess the market's underlying potential. The SLE market report proffers epidemiological analysis for the study period 2020–2034 in the 7MM segmented into: Total SLE Diagnosed Prevalent Cases Total SLE Diagnosed Prevalent Cases by Gender Total SLE Diagnosed Prevalent Cases by Age SLE Severity-Based Diagnosed Prevalent Cases Total SLE Treated Cases The report provides an edge while developing business strategies by understanding trends shaping and driving the 7MM SLE market. Highlights include: 11-year Forecast 7MM Analysis Epidemiology-based Market Forecasting Historical and Forecasted Market Analysis upto 2034 Emerging Drug Market Uptake Peak Sales Analysis Key Cross Competition Analysis Industry Expert's Opinion Access and Reimbursement Download this SLE market report to assess the epidemiology forecasts, understand the patient journeys, know KOLs' opinions about the upcoming treatment paradigms, and determine the factors contributing to the shift in the SLE market. Also, stay abreast of the mitigating factors to improve your market position in the SLE therapeutic space. 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