Japan-based pharmaceutical firm Astellas has secured an exclusive licence agreement with China-based Evopoint Biosciences for the latter’s experimental drug XNW27011.
XNW27011 is an investigational antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) that targets Claudin18.2 (CLDN18.2), a tight junction protein primarily expressed in the gastric mucosa.
Under the terms of the agreement, Astellas obtains rights to develop and commercialise XNW27011 worldwide, excluding mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan.
Evopoint will receive a $130m upfront payment and is eligible for up to $70m in near-term payments.
In addition, the Chinese drugmaker will receive additional milestone payments of up to $1.34bn, along with royalties on net sales if XNW27011 gains approval.
Evopoint chairman Arthur Qian said: “XNW27011 is a novel investigational antibody-drug conjugate that has shown great promise in the clinic.
“Astellas has a proven history of developing and commercialising a strong franchise of innovative cancer therapies.
“We are pleased to enter into this new license agreement to further our collective goals of bringing new treatment options for patients in need worldwide.”
Based in Suzhou Industrial Park, China, Evopoint Biosciences is a biopharmaceutical company that focuses on R&D and commercialisation.
The company specialises in providing advanced pharmaceutical solutions, leveraging platforms in targeted therapy, ADC, and targeted protein degradation.
Evopoint’s pipeline targets oncology, infectious diseases, and metabolic diseases.
Its ADC candidate XNW27011 is currently in a Phase 1/2 study in China, for solid tumours such as gastric, gastroesophageal, and pancreatic cancers.
The drug uses a unique topoisomerase I inhibitor payload and linker technology, which has shown clinical success in other cancer therapies.
Astellas aims to expand its oncology pipeline with XNW27011, alongside its existing CLDN-targeting therapies, including Vyloy, the first approved CLDN18.2-targeted therapy globally.
Astellas chief strategy officer Adam Pearson said: “Astellas is dedicated to advancing innovative therapies for some of the most challenging-to-treat cancers, such as gastric and pancreatic cancer.
“XNW27011 is a promising new asset that complements Astellas’ pipeline and enhances our leading position in precision oncology.
“We look forward to harnessing our expertise in targeting CLDN18.2 and specialised knowledge in GI cancers to advance XNW27011 and deliver meaningful outcomes to patients.”
