Tuesday, December 26, 2023
LianBio (Nasdaq: LIAN), a biotechnology company dedicated to introducing innovative medicines to patients in China and other significant Asian markets, has announced a recent agreement with Janssen Pharmaceutica NV (“Janssen”), a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. This collaboration entails LianBio assigning exclusive rights for the development and commercialization of NBTXR3, an investigational radioenhancer with potential groundbreaking applications, in China, South Korea, Singapore, and Thailand.
Per the agreement's terms, LianBio is set to receive a one-time payment of $25 million, with the possibility of an additional $5 million sales milestone payment. Following the completion of the deal, LianBio will actively support the smooth transition of NBTXR3 to Janssen for a period not exceeding six months.
In a significant development in July 2023, Nanobiotix granted Janssen a worldwide exclusive license for the co-development and commercialization of NBTXR3, excluding territories already licensed to LianBio. NBTXR3 has shown promise in enhancing treatment outcomes for various high-need solid tumor indications.
Konstantin Poukalov, Executive Chairman of the LianBio Board of Directors, expressed confidence in the transaction, stating, “NBTXR3 has demonstrated the potential to improve treatment outcomes across various high-need solid tumor indications. We believe this transaction will build upon the strong foundation LianBio has established for NBTXR3 in Asia.”
Laurent Levy, co-founder and chairman of the executive board at Nanobiotix, acknowledged LianBio's crucial role in the NANORAY-312 clinical trial of NBTXR3 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Levy expressed anticipation for advancing the clinical development of NBTXR3 in Asia and expanding treatment options globally.
NBTXR3, a novel oncology product, consists of functionalized hafnium oxide nanoparticles administered through a one-time intratumoral injection and activated by radiotherapy. Its unique mechanism of action induces significant tumor cell death, triggering an adaptive immune response and long-term anti-cancer memory. With potential scalability across various solid tumors treatable with radiotherapy and therapeutic combinations, NBTXR3 is currently under evaluation in a Phase 3 global registrational study, NANORAY-312, focusing on locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
LianBio initially licensed the rights for the development and commercialization of NBTXR3 in specific regions, including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, and Singapore.
Source: globenewswire.com
