US pharmaceutical major Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS; NYSE: BMY) has entered into a licensing and cooperation agreement with Zenas BioPharma, investing USD 50 million for development and commercial rights to Zenas’s obexelimab for autoimmune diseases in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Australia. Under the terms of the agreement, Zenas may receive additional payments linked to the achievement of specific development, regulatory, and commercial milestones, as well as royalties on future net sales of obexelimab in the licensed territories. BMS will gain exclusive rights to develop and commercialize obexelimab in these regions and is also making an equity investment in Zenas.
Obexelimab’s Potential in Autoimmune Disease Treatment
Obexelimab is an investigational bifunctional, non-cytolytic, humanized monoclonal antibody that targets CD19 and FcγRIIb to inhibit B cells, plasmablasts, and CD19-expressing plasma cells. It is currently under study as a subcutaneous injection in a global Phase III trial for patients with IgG4-Related Disease (IgG4-RD), a condition for which there are no approved treatments. Additionally, obexelimab is being investigated in a global Phase II/III trial for patients with warm antibody Auto-Immune Hemolytic Anemia (wAIHA).-Fineline Info & Tech
