Samyang Biopharm USA, a U.S. biotech subsidiary of South Korea’s Samyang Pharmaceuticals, announced on Tuesday that the company has entered into a global licensing agreement with CanCure.

Under the agreement, CanCure grants Samyang worldwide rights for the development, manufacturing and commercialization of SYB-010 (formerly CuraB-10), an investigational first-in-class immune stimulatory monoclonal antibody to treat cancer.

CanCure will work together with Samyang to complete nonclinical studies to support an IND application to the Food and Drug Administration and support Samyang’s initiation of the phase 1 clinical program. Samyang Biopharm USA plans to file an IND in 2021.

CanCure will receive an upfront payment and is eligible for future clinical, regulatory and sales milestone payments, as well as royalties on net sales worldwide., but the two agreed not to disclose detailed financial information.

SYB-010 targets a tumor-released immune suppressive molecule, soluble MHC class I chain-related protein (sMIC). In preclinical animal studies, the compound effectively reduced tumor size and prolonged overall survival by activating both the T lymphocyte and NK (natural killer) cell arms of the anti-tumor immune response, according to Samyang Biopharm USA.

By Kim Byung-ho and Minu Kim

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