Lupin out-licenses MALT1 inhibitor program to AbbVie in $977m deal

December 25, 2018 | Filed under: Pharma Industry News | Posted by: pharmanewsdaily Tags: AbbVie, Blood Cancer, Blood Cancer Drug, cancer, Dr. Raj Kamboj, India, Lupin, MALT1 inhibitor program, Oncology, Tom Hudson, USA

Indian pharma company Lupin has out-licensed its MALT1 (Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue Lymphoma Translocation Protein 1) inhibitor program to US biopharma company AbbVie in a deal potentially worth around $977 million.

Lupin and AbbVie have forged a partnership in this regard which gives the US biopharma company the exclusive global rights to develop and commercialize the MALT1 inhibitors of the former.

According to Lupin, MALT-1 is a protein that is involved in the activation of T-cells and B-cell lymphocytes.

AbbVie plans to pursue development in various hematological cancers of which several are having limited current treatment options.

Lupin out-licenses MALT1 inhibitor program to AbbVie . Photo courtesy of AbbVie Inc.

Dr. Raj Kamboj – President of Lupin Novel Drug Discovery and Development (NDDD) said: “We are delighted with the success of our NDDD program to bring India’s first pharmaceutical innovation in this space. This is a first-in-class drug discovery program delivered exclusively by Lupin right from concept generation through the various stages of drug discovery and development.

“We are proud of the conceptualization, strategic direction and impeccable execution done by the team at Lupin that meets the global standard of pharmaceutical research.”

As per the agreement terms, Lupin will be paid an upfront payment of $30 million by AbbVie. After achievement of regulatory, development and commercial milestones, the Indian pharma company will be entitled to get total milestone payments of up to $947 million. In addition to that, Lupin will also get a double-digit royalty on the sales of the product and will keep commercial rights to the MALT1 inhibitor program in India.

Tom Hudson – Vice President of AbbVie Discovery said: “Lupin’s MALT1 program is exploring a new and innovative approach in difficult-to-treat cancers. AbbVie is committed to pursuing advanced treatment options for patients and we look forward to partnering our expertise in hematological oncology with Lupin’s discovery program to offer new hope to patients.”

Earlier this month, Lupin secured approval for its Clobazam Tablets, 10mg and 20mg in the US. Clobazam Tablets, 10mg and 20mg is the generic version of Lundbeck Pharmaceuticals’ Onfi Tablets, 10mg and 20mg, which is indicated for the adjunctive treatment of seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) in patients, aged two years of age or older.