Targeting Lethal Brain Cancer: New mRNA Vaccine Collaboration Announced; Otsuka Secures Innovative Immunotherapy for ~$600M

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Approximately $600 Million! Otsuka Pharmaceutical Acquires Innovative Immunotherapy

Swedish biopharmaceutical company Cantargia recently announced that it has reached an agreement with Otsuka Pharmaceutical, under which the latter will acquire Cantargia's early clinical stage candidate drug project CAN10.This is an antibody targeting IL1RAP, designed to potently inhibit the activity of pro-inflammatory and pathogenic cytokines (including IL-1, IL-33, and IL-36) in the IL-1 superfamily. It is currently undergoing Phase 1 clinical trials in healthy subjects and psoriasis patients.

According to the agreement,Cantargia will receive an upfront payment of $33 million upon completion of the transaction and is eligible to receive up to $580 million in milestone payments.Otsuka Pharmaceutical will take full responsibility for the global development and commercialization of CAN10, including subsequent clinical development, regulatory submissions, manufacturing, and more. In addition to the CAN10 antibody, Otsuka Pharmaceutical will also acquire the relevant rights to the backup antibody 3G5 and hold exclusive preferential negotiation rights for the next-generation IL1RAP antibody that Cantargia plans to develop within the next two years.

TargetedDeadly Brain Cancer! Newcomer Achieves mRNA Vaccine Collaboration

Recently, SandboxAQ and iOncologi announced a strategic partnership,The two parties will jointly develop, validate, and commercialize an mRNA vaccine for the treatment of glioblastoma.This collaboration combines SandboxAQ's mature software and biotechnology capabilities in drug candidate molecule identification and lead compound optimization with iOncologi's deep expertise in immunotherapy design and clinical development, aiming to break through the long-standing technical barriers in brain cancer treatment.

According to the cooperation agreement,The two parties will leverage SandboxAQ's AQBioSim platform and iOncologi's expertise in precision immunotherapy to advance a candidate therapy into the clinical stage within 18 months.The AQBioSim platform builds large quantitative models (LQMs) based on physical and chemical principles, which can be used for rapid identification of potential drug molecules, simulation of molecular behavior, and generation of novel drug molecules. iOncologi focuses on reprogramming and guiding the immune system to target tumors that were previously considered "undruggable," especially those protected by the blood-brain barrier or in a state of immune tolerance.

References:

[1] Cantargia announces the acquisition of its CAN10 IL1RAP immunology program by Otsuka Pharmaceutical. Retrieved July 17, 2025 from https://cantargia.com/en/press-releases/cantargia-announces-the-acquisition-of-its-can10-il1rap-immunology-program-by-otsuka-pharmaceutical

[2] SandboxAQ and iOncologi Partner to Accelerate Brain Cancer Treatment with AI-driven Drug Discovery For Glioblastoma. Retrieved July 17, 2025 from https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sandboxaq-and-ioncologi-partner-to-accelerate-brain-cancer-treatment-with-ai-driven-drug-discovery-for-glioblastoma-302506387.html

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