AstraZeneca PLC (LON:AZN) announced a new multi-billion collaboration with Japanese giant Daiichi Sankyo while two of its drugs were pushed forward for approval in the EU.
The FTSE 100-listed firm’s oncology division has entered into a development and commercialisation agreement for DS-1062, Daiichi Sankyo's antibody drug conjugate.
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The candidate is currently being developed for tumours containing the TROP2 protein, such as non-small cell lung cancers and breast cancers, diseases that have been a strategic focus for AstraZeneca.
The Anglo-Swedish pharma company will pay Daiichi Sankyo an upfront payment of US$1bn, followed by extra instalments of up to US$1bn based on regulatory approvals and up to US$4bn for sales-related milestones.
The pair jointly develop and commercialise DS-1062 worldwide, except in Japan where Daiichi Sankyo will maintain exclusive rights, sharing equal expenses as well as profits.
In two further separate announcements, AstraZeneca said a committee of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended Calquence and Imfinzi for marketing authorisation in the EU.
It was based on positive results of final stage trials of both candidates, which are investigated to treat the most common type of leukaemia in adults and extensive-stage small cell lung cancer, respectively.
They are both already approved in the US and other countries.