UK pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has entered into an exclusive license agreement with China's CSPC Pharmaceutical Group (CSPC) to advance the development of an early stage, novel small molecule Lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)) disruptor that has the potential to offer additional benefits for patients with dyslipidaemia, according to a media release.
Dysplipideamia is when someone has unhealthy levels of lipid (fatty compounds) in the blood.
CSPC will receive an upfront payment of $100 million from AstraZeneca. CSPC is also eligible to receive up to $1.92 billion for further development and commercialisation milestones, plus tiered royalties, under the agreement.
The aim is to strengthen the company’s cardiovascular portfolio to help address the major risk factors driving chronic cardiovascular disease, the media release said.
Under the terms of the agreement, AstraZeneca will receive access to CSPC’s pre-clinical candidate small molecule, YS2302018, an oral Lp(a) disruptor, with the aim of developing this as a novel lipid-lowering therapy with potential in a range of cardiovascular disease indications alone or in combination, including with the oral small molecule PCSK9 inhibitor, AZD0780.
YS2302018 was discovered by CSPC and has been shown to effectively prevent the formation of Lp(a). Lp(a) is a form of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) that plays a key role in the transport of cholesterol in the blood stream.
Elevated levels of Lp(a), as well as elevated LDL-cholesterol, are known risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including coronary artery disease and stroke, the media release said.
Sharon Barr, executive vice president and head of biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, said in the release: “This asset is an important addition to our cardiovascular pipeline and could help patients to more effectively manage their dyslipidaemia and related cardiometabolic diseases."
Barr continued: "Given the scale of unmet need, with cardiovascular disease being a leading cause of death globally, advancing novel therapies that can be used alone or in combination to effectively address known risk factors and advance patient care is particularly important and a key part of our strategy.”
Dongchen Cai, chairman at CSPC Pharmaceutical Group, added: “Lipoprotein (a) represents a very important target for dyslipidemia and implicated in multiple cardiometabolic diseases. Through this agreement with AstraZeneca and their global capabilities in clinical development and commercialisation, we look forward to accelerating the development of YS2302018, a novel small molecule Lp(a) disruptor to benefit the millions of patients worldwide living with these diseases.”
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