Amphastar Pharmaceuticals has signed an exclusive licence agreement with Nanjing Anji Biotechnology, focusing on the development, production, use and commercialisation of three peptides in the US and Canada.
The first product under this collaboration is based on a newly discovered endogenous peptide by Anji, which may inhibit the growth and spread of hard-to-treat cancers.
The second is a peptide-docetaxel conjugate targeting specific receptors to enhance docetaxel's selectivity and bioavailability. It aims to minimise the toxicity associated with docetaxel, thereby enhancing the efficacy and safety of existing taxane therapies.
For individuals with wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD), the third product offers a treatment option as a topical eye drop designed to block vascular endothelial growth factor receptors.
Amphastar president and CEO Dr Jack Zhang stated: "We are delighted to announce a strategic licensing agreement with Anji, whose cutting-edge research and development expertise in peptide and polypeptide therapeutics aligns perfectly with Amphastar's mission to develop novel, proprietary and innovative products.”
The deal grants Amphastar access to intellectual property (IP) controlled by Anji related to these products within the specified territory.
A non-exclusive license is reciprocated to Anji, allowing it to utilise certain IP from Amphastar for the development and commercialisation of the products outside the territory.
Payments made by Amphastar include $0.75m as earnest money and a further $5.25m upfront upon signing.
The agreement also outlines potential milestone payments that could reach up to $42m based on development progress, along with sales milestone payments that may total $225m contingent on annual net sales achievements.
Royalty payments are set at 5% on net sales by Amphastar, capping at a maximum accumulated amount of $60m per licensed product.
In turn, Anji will pay Amphastar low single-digit royalty fees on the net sales of licensed products, which will be determined based on any patents that Amphastar licenses to Anji under the agreement.
Over its lifetime, this partnership could yield up to $453m in total payments for Anji.
