AstraZeneca Inks $2.01B Deal for Next-Gen Oral GLP-1 Receptor Agonist ECC5004 from Eccogene

On November 9, AstraZeneca announced that it had entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Eccogene to obtain global rights for the latter's next-generation oral glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) ECC5004 as both a monotherapy and combination therapy.

ECC5004 is a once-daily, low-dose, small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist currently undergoing Phase I clinical trials in the United States involving healthy subjects and patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). ECC5004 has demonstrated satisfactory efficacy and safety in preclinical studies.

Preliminary results from the Phase I clinical trial show that ECC5004 has differentiated clinical advantages, with good tolerability compared to placebo, and promotes reductions in blood glucose and weight.

According to the terms of the agreement, Eccogene will receive an upfront payment of $185 million. In addition, Eccogene will also be eligible to receive up to $1.825 billion in clinical, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments, as well as tiered royalties on the product’s net sales.

AstraZeneca will obtain the exclusive rights for the development and commercialization of Eccogene's small molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist ECC5004 for all indications in all countries and regions outside of China. In China, ECC5004 will be co-developed and commercialized by Eccogene and AstraZeneca.

Sharon Barr, Executive Vice President of AstraZeneca and Head of BioPharmaceuticals R&D, stated: "With over a billion people now living with cardiometabolic diseases and obesity, there is an urgent need to continue innovating to develop the next generation of treatments. The Phase I clinical data from Eccogene is highly promising, and we believe this oral small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist has the potential to provide an alternative to current injectable therapies—either as a potential standalone treatment or for combination therapy across various cardiometabolic conditions, including type 2 diabetes and obesity. ECC5004 further enhances our existing pipeline of incretin and non-incretin pathway therapies, which includes the GLP-1/glucagon dual agonist (AZD9550) and the long-acting amylin analogue (AZD6234)."

Eccogene CEO Renjing Zhou stated, "GLP-1 receptor agonists are an important class of drugs for treating various cardiometabolic diseases. Currently, there are no orally administered small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs approved for marketing. Small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonists, including ECC5004, may offer greater convenience and ease of use in terms of administration methods and dosage compared to existing GLP-1 receptor agonist therapies on the market. AstraZeneca has world-leading clinical development and commercialization capabilities. This significant collaboration between Eccogene and AstraZeneca will accelerate the development of ECC5004 (a once-daily, low-dose, orally administered small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist), benefiting patients worldwide as soon as possible."

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