Eli Lilly is paying $100 million upfront (PDF) for the right to develop CSL’s phase 3-stage IL-6 antibody that had previously been explored for organ transplant rejection.
Australia-based CSL picked up the anti-interleukin-6 monoclonal antibody, called clazakizumab, as part of its acquisition of Vitaeris in 2020. Clazakizumab was designed to treat chronic antibody-mediated organ rejection (AMR), and CSL oversaw a phase 3 trial for the drug as a treatment for AMR in kidney transplant patients.
But it doesn’t look like that trial went to plan, with CSL’s Behring subsidiary terminating the AMR trial early due to lack of efficiency, according to the federal trials database. Fierce has asked CSL for more details about why that study has halted.
Despite the setback in AMR, the company has continued to assess clazakizumab in a phase 3 study for the prevention of cardiovascular events in patients on dialysis with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). That trial kicked off in 2022 and is due to wrap up in 2029, according to the trial database.
This morning’s deal allows CSL to continue to develop clazakizumab for this specific indication of prevention of cardiovascular events in ESKD patients. Meanwhile, Lilly will be able to develop and commercialize the therapy in “additional indications,” according to a Feb. 18 release.
Beyond the $100 million upfront payment, CSL will be eligible for clinical, regulatory and commercial milestones as well as royalties on global net sales—although the companies didn’t offer a ballpark figure for these potential payouts.
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“This agreement marks a significant step forward in our mission to bring innovative therapies to patients worldwide,” CSL’s head of R&D Bill Mezzanotte said in the release.
“Clazakizumab is a promising therapeutic candidate with the potential to significantly impact the treatment landscape for various immuno-inflammatory and cardiovascular conditions,” Mezzanotte added. “Lilly is another patient-focused organization, and we look forward to working with them to maximise the potential of this important medicine.”
Buoyed with cash from its blockbuster diabetes and obesity franchise, Lilly has been on a dealmaking spree over recent months, including buying gene editing partner Verve Therapeutics for $1 billion, inflammation biotech Ventyx Biosciences for $1.2 billion and in vivo CAR-T player Orna Therapeutics for up to $2.4 billion.
