By Fineline Cube 
Germany-based BioNTech SE (NASDAQ: BNTX) announced a strategic partnership with US major Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS, NYSE: BMY) to jointly develop and commercialize BNT327, a next-generation bispecific antibody targeting PD-L1 and VEGF-A, for the treatment of multiple solid tumors.
Partnership Details
Under the agreement, BMS will pay BioNTech an upfront $1.5 billion and $2 billion in non-contingent anniversary payments through 2028. Additionally, BMS is committed to up to $7.6 billion in development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments. BioNTech and BMS will share joint development and manufacturing costs equally on a 50:50 basis, with global profits and losses also shared equally.
Clinical Development of BNT327
BNT327 is currently being evaluated in multiple clinical trials, with over 1,000 patients treated to date. These include global Phase III trials with registrational potential assessing BNT327 as a first-line treatment for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. A global Phase III study evaluating the candidate in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is expected to commence by the end of 2025. Preliminary data from ongoing trials highlight the potential of combining anti-PD-L1 and anti-VEGF-A into a single molecule to deliver synergistic clinical benefits across multiple tumor types.-Fineline Info & Tech