ONO Enters into an Option and Collaboration Agreement with Numab to Develop Multi-specific Antibody NM49
Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Osaka, Japan; President and CEO, Gyo Sagara; “Ono”) today announced that it has entered into an option and collaboration agreement with Numab Therapeutics AG (Horgen, Switzerland; CEO, David Urech; “Numab”) to develop and commercialize a novel multi-specific macrophage engager, NM49, in the oncology area that has been generated and developed by Numab.
Under the terms of this agreement, Ono will have an exclusive option right to develop and commercialize NM49 worldwide. Numab will retain an opt-in right to develop and commercialize NM49 jointly with Ono in the United States. Ono will make an upfront payment to Numab upon execution of this agreement. Upon exercise of the option right, Ono will make milestone payments based on development and commercialization progresses, as well as tiered royalties based on net sales.
During this option period, Numab will be responsible for the research and development of NM49 and Ono will cover the related expenses.
“We are very pleased to strengthen the partnership with Numab through the development and commercialization of NM49 generated through Numab’s unique multi-specific antibody platform,” said Toichi Takino, Senior Executive Officer / Executive Director, Discovery & Research of Ono. “We are committed to the development and commercialization of NM49 to deliver it as a new therapeutic option to patients as soon as possible by maximally utilizing Ono’s deep immuno-oncology expertise.”
“This important partnership marks our third collaboration with Ono and the first one where Numab has the option to co-develop and commercialize in the United States. We are thrilled to continue working with Ono on developing new high impact multi-specific therapeutics for cancer patients,” said David Urech, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Numab Therapeutics. “The collaboration will further expand Numab’s product pipeline and improve the productivity of our R&D activities.”
In March 2022, Ono entered into a development and license agreement with Numab to develop a distinct multi-specific antibody drug candidate, other than that covered by this agreement, in the immuno-oncology area.
About Numab Therapeutics AG
Numab is developing multi-specific antibody-based immunotherapies for inflammation and cancer. Reproducible plug-and-play therapeutic design process using proprietary platforms λ-Cap™ and MATCH™ puts Numab in a unique position to overcome historical drug discovery barriers and build a pipeline of new and important medicines aimed to maximize patient benefits. Numab’s diverse research pipeline spans multiple therapeutic areas and creates the opportunity for the next generation of first-in-class and best-in-class medicines. Multiple partnerships with leading pharma companies validate the platform and development capabilities. For further information, visit www.numab.com .