June 18 Company Quick Takes: Sino-Akeso JV, plus Oxford Drug Design, Be The Match and more
CTTQ, Akeso form JV to develop PD-1 mAb
The Chia Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd. (CTTQ) subsidiary of Sino Biopharmaceutical Ltd. (HKEX:1177) formed a 50/50 joint venture with Akeso Biopharma Inc. (Zhongshan, China) to develop and commercialize Akeso’s AK105, an anti PD-1 mAb. CTTQ will contribute RMB344.7 million ($49.7 million) in cash to the JV and Akeso will contribute its IP and technology related to AK105, which is in Phase I to III testing for various cancers including unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). CTTQ will have exclusive rights to market the JV’s AK105 products in China and to use the antibody’s amino acid sequence to develop other therapies.
Hengrui, Mycovia partner to develop antifungal therapy
Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine Co. Ltd. (Shanghai:3600276) gained development and commercialization rights to VT-1161 from Mycovia Pharmaceuticals (Durham, N.C.) for recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis, onychomycosis and other fungal conditions in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. Mycovia is eligible to receive undisclosed development funding, royalties and regulatory and sales milestones. The oral inhibitor of fungal cytochrome P450 C-14 α demethylase (fungal CYP51) is in Phase III testing for vulvovaginal candidiasis in the U.S., EU and Japan...