China-based CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd (HKG: 1093) has announced a licensing agreement with Massachusetts-based Corbus Pharmaceuticals Inc. The deal pertains to CSPC’s anti-nectin-4 antibody drug conjugate (ADC) SYS6002. Under the terms of the agreement, Corbus obtains development and commercialization rights to SYS6002 in the United States, EU, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
Financial Terms of the Agreement
The US firm will pay CSPC USD 7.5 million upfront and is committed to up to USD 130 million in development and regulatory milestone payments. Additionally, there are up to USD 555 million in sales-based milestones, bringing the total deal value to USD 692.5 million. This is accompanied by tiered annual sales commissions. CSPC retains all rights to the drug in other markets globally.
SYS6002: ADC Technology and Mechanism of Action
SYS6002 is an ADC developed using CSPC’s proprietary enzyme-catalyzed site-directed antibody coupling technology, targeting Nectin-4. The molecule has a uniform distribution of drug antibody ratio (DAR), and can target the mitotic inhibitor MMAE to cancer cells expressing Nectin-4. The stability of its linker helps deliver a high concentration of MMAE to the tumor while reducing adverse systemic exposure and side effects. Nectin-4 is known to promote tumor proliferation, angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis, and lymphatic metastasis, and is selectively highly expressed in a variety of cancers.-Fineline Info & Tech
