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Merck partners with Hengrui in deal worth up to $1.48bn

Merck KGaA is expanding its oncology portfolio after it partnered with Chinese company Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals. Merck KGaA will pay $169.35m (€160m) upfront for the exclusive licence rights to develop, manufacture and commercialise Hengrui’s HRS-1167 – a potent and selective PARP1 (poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1) trapping inhibitor. The deal also includes the option of an exclusive licence that will give the German company the same rights for the antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) SHR-A1904.

Pierre Fabre and Atara expand licensing agreement for Epstein-Barr therapy

Atara Biotherapeutics has sold its marketing rights to Ebvallo (tabelecleucel) in North America, Asia Pacific, and Latin America to Pierre Fabre Laboratories, in a deal worth over $640m. Ebvallo is allogeneic T-cell immunotherapy, which has been approved as monotherapy by the European Commission (EC) for treating patients ages two years and above with Epstein‑Barr virus-positive post‑transplant lymphoproliferative disease (EBV+ PTLD).

Intas licenses Helnius’s antibody for marketing in Europe and India

Intas Pharmaceuticals has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Shanghai Henlius Biotech to develop and commercialise serplulimab in Europe and India. Serplulimab is a recombinant humanised anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody (mAb). The antibody was approved by China’s National Medical Products Administration for treating microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) tumours, and other cancers.

Source: Pharmaceutical Technology

AstraZeneca and Cellectis partner to advance cell and gene therapies

AstraZeneca has signed a joint research collaboration agreement with Cellectis to develop up to ten cell and gene therapy candidates. As part of the agreement, Cellectis will receive a $25m upfront payment and an initial equity investment of $80m.