Immutep Limited has secured a sweeping licensing deal with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories that hands the Indian pharma giant exclusive rights to develop and commercialise the cancer immunotherapy Eftilagimod Alfa (efti) across most of the world, excluding North America, Europe, Japan and Greater China.
Under the agreement, Immutep’s subsidiary Immutep SAS and Dr Reddy’s Laboratories SA will jointly advance efti, a first-in-class activator of the immune system now in a registrational Phase III trial, TACTI-004, for first-line treatment of advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. The drug is also being tested in head and neck cancer, breast cancer and soft-tissue sarcoma.
The deal gives Immutep substantial milestone opportunities while preserving its commercial upside in the licensed territories. Crucially, Immutep retains global manufacturing rights and will supply efti to Dr Reddy’s, and it keeps full commercial rights in major markets including the US, Europe and Japan.
Dr Reddy’s will pay Immutep US$ 20 million upfront and could deliver as much as US$ 349.5 million in regulatory and commercial milestones, plus double-digit royalties on sales.
“This collaboration marks our continuous efforts to deliver first-in-class and innovative therapies for cancer treatment. Efti is a novel immunotherapy with the potential to set a new standard of care in combination with pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and chemotherapy as first-line therapy for non-small cell lung cancer.
"Its broad potential extends to other major cancers across multiple stages of disease. Through this agreement, we look forward to leveraging our expertise and strong market access to advance the development and commercialization of this promising cancer therapy in the licensed markets,” stated MV Ramana, CEO – Branded Markets (India & Emerging Markets), Dr Reddy’s.
“This agreement with Dr Reddy’s marks a significant milestone for Immutep and further validates the potential of efti. Dr Reddy’s proven capabilities and reach in the licensed markets make them an ideal partner to maximise the impact of our innovation and serve a large number of patients across the globe," said Marc Voigt, CEO of Immutep.
"Additionally, 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 very well-positioned for future value creation."
