Dr Reddy's signs licensing pact with Immutep to develop, market cancer drug

Hyderabad-based drugmaker Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL) signed an exclusive licensing deal with Australia’s Immutep to make, develop and distribute the company’s cancer treatment, eftilagimod alfa (Efti).

 

Subsidiaries of the two companies — Immutep SAS and Dr Reddy’s Laboratories SA — will enter into a strategic collaboration for the development and commercialisation of Efti in all countries outside North America, Europe, Japan and Greater China, the drug firms said in a joint statement.

 

Efti is Immutep’s first-in-class novel immunotherapy that directly activates the immune system to fight cancer, and is under evaluation for first-line therapy of advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.

 

 

It is also being investigated in other indications, including head and neck cancer, breast cancer, and soft tissue sarcoma.

 

According to the agreement, Immutep will receive from Dr Reddy’s an upfront payment of $20 million (around AUD 30.2 million). “It is also eligible to receive potential regulatory development and commercial milestone payments of up to $349.5 million (around AUD 528.4 million), plus double-digit royalties on commercial sales in these markets,” the joint statement added.

 

Commenting on the agreement, MV Ramana, DRL’s branded markets (India and emerging markets), said the company looks forward to leveraging its expertise and strong market access to advance the development and commercialisation of the cancer therapy in the licensed markets.

 

“This partnership allows us to capture significant value for Efti in the licensed markets, while retaining full rights in key markets such as North America, Europe and Japan, and ensures we remain well-positioned for future value creation,” Marc Voigt, chief executive officer of Immutep, added.

 

On Monday, DRL’s shares went marginally down by 0.62 per cent, ending the day’s trade at Rs 1,267.15 apiece on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).