Gilead, Ono in Btk inhibitor deal

Ono Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (Tokyo:4528) granted Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) exclusive rights to develop and commercialize ONO-4059 outside of Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, China and countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), where Ono retains development and commercialization rights. Ono will receive an undisclosed upfront payment and is eligible for milestones.

Gilead plans to develop the Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) inhibitor to treat B cell malignancies and other undisclosed conditions. Ono said the molecule has shown activity in Phase I testing in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). ...