Deal Insignt: Antibe licensed otenaproxesul to Nuance Pharma

Antibe Therapeutics Inc. licensed otenaproxesul to Nuance Pharma for commercialization in the Greater China region. Nuance is a biopharmaceutical company focused on licensing, developing and commercializing globally innovative therapies to address critical unmet medical needs in China and other Asia Pacific markets. Founded by Mark Lotter who built the AstraZeneca commercial franchise in China, and led by executives with extensive multinational pharma experience, Nuance focuses on identifying and in-licensing therapies that have achieved best-in-class, human proof-of-concept status.

Otenaproxesul (previously known as ATB-346) is a novel anti-inflammatory drug that releases hydrogen sulfide. It has shown unequivocal superiority to naproxen in gastrointestinal safety. Recently, it demonstrated robust analgesic efficacy against osteoarthritis at a high degree of statistical significance. These positive safety and efficacy data support the results of earlier clinical and preclinical studies.

Reference: https://antibethera.com/pipeline/atb-346/

About the deal

• The license provides Nuance with exclusive rights to commercialize the otenaproxesul in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, representing approximately 10% of the worldwide pharma market.
• Under the terms of the agreement, Antibe is entitled to US$100 million in milestone payments, including US$20 million upfront and US$80 million in development and sales milestones, in addition to a double-digit royalty on sales.
• Clinical development and regulatory costs for the region will be borne by Nuance. Antibe and Nuance have established a structure for collaborating on otenaproxesul’s clinical development in the region, ensuring a fit with Antibe’s global regulatory strategy.

About Antibe Therapeutics Inc.

Antibe is leveraging its proprietary hydrogen sulfide platform to develop next-generation safer therapies to address inflammation arising from a wide range of medical conditions. Antibe’s current pipeline includes three assets that seek to overcome the gastrointestinal (“GI”) ulcers and bleeding associated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (“NSAIDs”). Antibe’s lead drug, otenaproxesul (formerly ATB-346), is entering Phase III for osteoarthritis pain. Additional assets under development include a safer alternative to opioids for peri-operative pain, and a GI-safe alternative to low-dose aspirin. The Company’s next target is inflammatory bowel disease (“IBD”), a condition long in need of safer, more effective therapies. Learn more at antibethera.com.

About Nuance Pharma

Nuance is a Shanghai-based late clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on licensing, developing and commercializing globally innovative therapies with the mission of addressing critical unmet medical needs in China and other emerging Asia Pacific markets. Its world-class clinical and regulatory teams, visionary approach to business development and integrated commercial platforms enable Nuance to continuously accelerate the access of innovative treatments to patients. Since its inception in 2014, Nuance has assembled a portfolio of promising clinical-stage drug candidates for respiratory, pain and iron deficiency anemia. The company has targeted these therapeutic areas based on the severity of the unmet medical needs, the size of the at-risk patient population, and the emergence of innovative products worldwide.