Harbour BioMed (HKG: 2142), a biotech company with operations in the United States, the Netherlands, and Suzhou, China, has announced a licensing agreement between its wholly owned subsidiary Nona Biosciences and US mRNA specialist ModernaTX, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRNA). The collaboration will focus on discovering and developing nucleic acid-based immunotherapies for select oncology targets using Harbour’s proprietary heavy chain only antibody discovery platform (HCAb).
Financial Terms and Licensing Details
Under the agreement, Nona Biosciences will receive an upfront payment of USD 6 million and is eligible for up to USD 500 million in potential milestone payments, along with tiered royalties. Moderna will be granted an exclusive sub-licensable license to exploit a panel of sequences against multiple targets derived from Harbour’s HCAb platform. Moderna will assume full responsibility for all upcoming development, manufacturing, regulatory, and commercialization activities related to the nucleic acid-based immunotherapies.
Future Collaboration Opportunities
Moderna will also have the option to obtain an exclusive sub-licensable license to exploit sequences against additional targets. This strategic partnership leverages Harbour BioMed’s innovative HCAb platform to advance Moderna’s oncology pipeline, potentially leading to new and effective nucleic acid-based immunotherapies for cancer patients.-Fineline Info & Tech
