AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo to develop new cancer treatment
Biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has entered into an agreement with Japanese pharmaceutical company Daiichi Sankyo to develop and commercialise trastuzumab deruxtecan, a potential new medicine for cancer treatment.
Trastuzumab deruxtecan is currently in development for the treatment of multiple cancers, including breast and gastric.
In an announcement on March 28, the companies said they will jointly develop and commercialise trastuzumab deruxtecan worldwide, except in Japan where Daiichi Sankyo will maintain exclusive rights.
Under the terms of the agreement, AstraZeneca will pay Daiichi Sankyo an upfront payment of $1.35 billion, as well as contingent payments of up to $5.55 billion and $1.75 billion for sales-related milestones.
According to the statement, the companies will equally share development and commercialisation costs as well as worldwide profits, except for Japan.
George Nakayama, the chief executive officer of Daiichi Sankyo, said trastuzumab deruxtecan is the “flagship asset” in its oncology pipeline.
“Through the strategic collaboration with AstraZeneca we will combine our respective skill sets to maximise the value of trastuzumab deruxtecan and accelerate the establishment of our global oncology business,” Nakayama said.
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