By Donald Zuhn --
Last Thursday, Novartis AG announced that it had signed an exclusive license with Antisoma PLC for the worldwide rights to the cancer therapeutic AS1404. AS1404 is a member of a class of compounds known as small molecule vascular disrupting agents (VDAs). VDAs, which selectively disrupt established blood vessels supporting tumor growth, differ from angiogenesis inhibitors, which inhibit the formation of new tumor blood vessels.
AS1404 is set enter Phase III clinical trials in patients with squamous non-small cell lung cancer in 2008 after showing positive results in Phase II trials; the compound extended median survival by five months in patients with non-small cell lung cancer when used in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin. With the licensing of AS1404, Novartis now has seven cancer therapeutics in its pipeline, including: RAD001, for treating multiple tumors; SOM230, for treating Cushing's disease/refractory carcinoid tumors and acromegaly; LBH589, for treating chronic myeloid leukemia/cutaneous T-cell lymphoma; Tasigna, for treating chronic myeloid leukemia; EPO906, for treating ovarian cancer; and PKC 412, for treating acute myelogenous leukemia.
In its release, Novartis stated that it would make an upfront payment of US $75 million to Antisoma, with additional payments of US $380 million, contingent on developmental milestones and approvals, and up to US $325 million, contingent on future sales performance. The agreement also calls for Antisoma to receive sales royalties, and involves an option for Novartis on a back-up compound to AS1404 that could net Antisoma another US $110 million.
Forbes reported that that deal, worth a potential US $890 million, would be the second largest for the British biotechnology industry. According to Forbes, the Antisoma-Norvartis agreement trails last month's Oxford BioMedica and Sanofi-Aventis deal, previously reported by Patent Docs, now believed to be worth a potential US $1 billion. Forbes also noted that Roche handed the rights to AS1404 back to Antisoma last June amid concerns about patent protection. According to a Guardian Unlimited report, Roche was worried that U.S. patent protection for AS1404 would expire in 2012 despite assurances from Antisoma that several patents covering AS1404 combination therapies would not expire until 2021. Antisoma has not identified the serial numbers of the relevant U.S. patents.
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