Ahmedabad: Zydus Lifesciences Limited has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Agenus Inc. to acquire India and Sri Lanka commercial rights for its investigational
Botensilimab (BOT) and Balstilimab (BAL), combination therapy.Agenus Inc. is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing immune therapies that effectively
combat cancer.
Agenus’ lead programme comprising Botensilimab (BOT) and Balstilimab (BAL), is a nextgeneration immunotherapy platform designed to strengthen and sustain the immune system’s
response against tumour cells. Currently in advanced clinical trials, BOT/BAL have
demonstrated significant clinical activity across nine cancer types in more than 1,200 patients,
including both late-stage and neoadjuvant settings.
As a part of the agreement, Zydus will be responsible for clinical development and regulatory
approvals of licensed products in these territories and will pay 5% royalty on net sales upon
successful approval & commercialization.
“Our licensing partnership with Agenus aligns with Zydus’ overarching biologics vision and our
aim to advance novel solutions for high-unmet need areas,” said Dr. Sharvil Patel, Managing
Director of Zydus Lifesciences. “Agenus’ robust pipeline and research in immuno-oncology
along with Zydus’ reach as the largest Indian oncology player, is a significant step forward in
our collective fight against cancer. We are confident that this collaboration will bring
transformative therapies to patients who need them most, in India and Sri Lanka markets.””Zydus with its strong clinical development and regulatory capabilities will not only expand the
reach of BOT/BAL therapy within its initial indications but also drive its expansion into other
high unmet need indications and earlier lines of treatment, as well as neoadjuvant setting,” the release stated.Zydus Lifesciences Ltd. is an innovative, global lifesciences company that
discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets a broad range of healthcare therapies.
The group employs 27,000 people worldwide, including 1,400 scientists engaged in R & D. Over the last decade, Zydus has introduced several innovative, first-in-class
products in the market for treating unmet healthcare needs with vaccines, therapeutics,
biologicals and biosimilars.Read also: Zydus Lifesciences Rifaximin Tablets bags USFDA tentative nod for irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhoea