ASLAN Pharmaceuticals and Zenyaku Kogyo have entered a strategic licensing deal for ASLAN’s eblasakimab in Japan.
Zenyaku Kogyo will handle the development and commercialisation activities of eblasakimab to treat atopic dermatitis (AD).
Go deeper with GlobalData
The company also intends to commence a Phase I trial of the drug in the country during the first half of 2024.
Eblasakimab is a potential first-in-class monoclonal antibody that targets the IL-13 receptor subunit of the Type 2 receptor, a critical pathway that drives many allergic inflammatory diseases.
It prevents signalling through interleukin 4 (IL‑4) and interleukin 13 (IL‑13), both key drivers of inflammation in AD, by blocking the Type 2 receptor.
ASLAN Pharmaceuticals will receive a $12m upfront payment and a $3m additional payment from Zenyaku Kogyo.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataThe company will also receive a $123.5m additional payment based on development and commercial milestones, and tiered royalties on sales of the product.
ASLAN Pharmaceuticals CEO Dr Carl Firth stated: “The burden of AD is significant and growing in Japan – there are five million people living with the disease and millions more who live with other type 2-driven diseases.
“As we approach late-stage development of eblasakimab globally, it was important for us to identify a partner like Zenyaku who can apply its experience to accelerate the development of eblasakimab in Japan.”
The company will retain an option which can be exercised to re-acquire the rights to the therapy in the country at any time in the future.
