LaNova Medicines and AstraZeneca have entered into an exclusive license agreement with for LM-305, a pre-clinical stage antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting G protein-coupled receptor, class C, group 5, member D (GPRC5D).
LM-305 is a novel GPRC5D-targeting antibody drug conjugate, consisting of an anti-GPRC5D monoclonal antibody, a protease-degradable linker, and a cytotoxic payload monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE). LM-305 is the 2nd product to emerge from LaNova’s proprietary ADC platform. LM-305 has the potential to become a first-in-class GPRC5D-targeting ADC, with IND approvals in the United States and China.
Agreement
Under the terms of the licensing agreement, AstraZeneca will be granted an exclusive global license to research, develop, and commercialize LM-305. LaNova Medicines is eligible to receive an upfront and near-term payments of up to US $ 55 million and additional development and commercial milestone payments of up to US US $ 545 million, as well as tiered royalties on net sales worldwide.
“LaNova Medicines has a strong focus on discovering and developing innovative medicines in the ADC and Immuno-Oncology fields,” said Crystal Qin, Pg.D., Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of LaNova Medicines, a privately held biotech company headquartered in Shanghai.
“We’re excited to reach this agreement with AstraZeneca. With the potential to become a first-in-class GPRC5D-directed ADC for multiple myeloma, LM-305 exemplifies our innovative and robust platform for ADC development. This agreement is further recognition of our exceptional pipeline assets and R&D capabilities. We are confident that AstraZeneca is the ideal company to advance LM-305 for the betterment of patients globally,” Qin, added.
“We are pleased to have the opportunity to advance the development of LM-305, a novel GPRC5D-targeting antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), as a potential new treatment option for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma,” explained Nina Shah, Global Head of Multiple Myeloma, Hematology R&D, AstraZeneca.
“LM-305 advances our leadership in ADCs and enriches our growing Haematology pipeline, helping us deliver against our broader ambition to transform clinical outcomes for patients living with blood cancers,” Shah further noted
Other developments
LaNova Medicines focuses on developing novel ADC and Immuno-oncologic agents to meet the needs of patients with significant unmet medical needs. The company’s leading clinical-stage programs include LM-302 (BMS-986476/TPX-4589), a differentiated anti-Claudin 18.2 ADC for the treatment of solid tumors, including gastric cancer. [1] In 2022 LaNova licensed the investigational agent to Turning Point Therapeutics (now part of Bristol Myers Squibb) for a total deal value of over US $ 1 billion.
In February 2023 AstraZeneca signed an exclusive global license agreement with KYM Biosciences, a joint venture of Keymed Biosciences and Lepu Biopharma, for CMG901, an other, investigational antibody drug conjugate (ADC) targeting Claudin 18.2.
Reference
[1] World Health Organization. World Cancer Fact Sheet. Online. Last accessed on February 23, 2023.
Featured image: Cutting-edge science at AstraZeneca China: investment in local high-tech facilities, Photo courtesy: © 2022 – 2023 AstraZeneca. Used with permission
