AstraZeneca Secures Global Rights to Daiichi Sankyo’s Trastuzumab Deruxtecan in $6.9 Billion Deal

VCBeat (WeChat Official Account: vcbeat) learned from foreign media that on March 29, British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca and Japanese pharmaceutical company Daiichi Sankyo reached a cooperation deal worth $6.9 billion. This collaboration will combine AstraZeneca’s global resources in oncology with Daiichi Sankyo’s biotechnology to jointly advance the commercialization of the monoclonal antibody deruxtecan. Deruxtecan is a trastuzumab-based monoclonal antibody developed by Daiichi Sankyo. It has been approved by the U.S. FDA for the treatment of HER2-positive advanced or metastatic breast cancer and designated as a Breakthrough Therapy.

It is reported that AstraZeneca will pay Daiichi Sankyo a total of $6.9 billion, including an upfront payment of $1.35 billion and additional potential payments of $5.55 billion contingent upon future regulatory approvals, sales milestones, or other events. Under the terms of the agreement, AstraZeneca will obtain the rights to develop and commercialize the monoclonal antibody deruxtecan globally (excluding Japan), while Daiichi Sankyo will be solely responsible for the manufacturing and supply of the monoclonal antibody deruxtecan.

Notably, on the same day that Daiichi Sankyo announced its collaboration with AstraZeneca, Daiichi Sankyo submitted a Biologics License Application (BLA) for trastuzumab deruxtecan to the U.S. FDA. The company had originally planned to submit this application in 2020.

Trastuzumab deruxtecan is a targeted cancer therapy composed of a humanized HER2 antibody that delivers cytotoxic agents (also known as the “payload”) to cancer cells by binding to specific targets on their surface. In addition to receiving U.S. FDA approval for the treatment of breast cancer, this drug has been designated under Japan’s SAKIGAKE system for the treatment of HER2-positive advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma.

In 2018, there were approximately 2.1 million new cases of female breast cancer. Breast cancer is currently the most common cancer and has become one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women. Approximately one-fifth of breast cancers are HER2-positive. HER2 is a tyrosine kinase receptor growth-promoting protein on the surface of cancer cells that binds to growth factors to transmit signals, regulating cell growth, division, and repair. However, excessive HER2 (detected as positive) leads to uncontrolled cell proliferation in patients and accelerates cancer recurrence.

AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot stated, “We believe that trastuzumab deruxtecan has the potential to become a revolutionary new drug for the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer and gastric cancer. It may also be effective in treating other cancers with HER2 mutations or HER2 overexpression, including lung cancer and colorectal cancer.”

George Nakayama, CEO of Daiichi Sankyo, stated, “AstraZeneca is an experienced global pharmaceutical company. We believe that our collaboration with them will maximize the value of trastuzumab deruxtecan and rapidly establish our global oncology business.”

Under the terms of the agreement, AstraZeneca is required to pay half of the upfront payment to Daiichi Sankyo upon execution, with the remaining portion to be paid 12 months later.

AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN), headquartered in Cambridge, UK, is a global pharmaceutical company. The company primarily focuses on cardiovascular, renal, oncology, respiratory, autoimmune, neurological, and viral infection diseases, with more than 100 drugs in its clinical pipeline. Its innovative medicines have been used by millions of patients worldwide. To date, the company has completed 18 acquisitions and made 28 investments.

Daiichi Sankyo, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a biopharmaceutical company with a long history. The company primarily develops prescription and over-the-counter drugs for cardiovascular diseases, infectious diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, and urological conditions, and also provides vaccines. In addition, Daiichi Sankyo manufactures and sells various medical devices, food products, and veterinary medicines. Its main operations are conducted in Japan, North America, Europe, and India. To date, the company has completed five acquisitions.

(Compiled by: Wang Chan)