Novartis gains rights to two oral targeted investigational therapies focusing on patients with blood disorders and cancers
Novartis has gained exclusive rights to two oral targeted investigational therapies for patients with a range of life-threatening blood disorders and cancers that currently do not have effective treatment options. Under a licensing agreement with Incyte Corporation, Novartis will have responsibility for the future development of Incyte's investigational JAK inhibitor outside the US and for future development of an early-stage cmet inhibitor globally.
The lead compound is a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor with the investigational name INCB18424. This oral targeted therapy is in Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of myelofibrosis, a life-threatening neoplastic condition with no effective medical treatment that is characterized by varying degrees of bone marrow failure, splenomegaly (enlarged spleen) and debilitating symptoms. INCB18424 has the potential of becoming a first-in-class therapeutic agent for the treatment of this and other hematologic diseases.
The second compound covered in the licensing agreement, a mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor kinase (cMET) inhibitor with the investigational name INCB28060, is entering Phase I development. Compounds in this class are envisioned to become effective cancer therapies through their ability to block molecular signals leading to tumor cell angiogenesis, proliferation, survival, invasion and metastasis. Multiple cancers have shown to be dependent on activation of molecular signals by genetic alterations of the cMET gene. Emerging evidence indicates that cMET inhibition may be useful in the treatment of certain cancers, including gastric and kidney cancer, and may help to overcome resistance to some targeted therapies, such as gefitinib in non-small cell lung cancer.
Novartis will make an upfront payment of USD 150 million to Incyte and a first milestone payment of USD 60 million for initiation of the European Phase III trial of the JAK inhibitor INCB18424 that began in July of this year. The agreement covers ex-US commercialization rights for the JAK inhibitor and global commercialization rights for the cMET inhibitor INCB28060. Each company will be responsible for costs in their respective territories for the JAK inhibitor, with costs of collaborative studies shared equally. Novartis will be responsible for all costs and activities for the cMET inhibitor after the Phase I clinical trial. After the first milestone, Incyte will be eligible for additional payments based on achieving defined development and commercialization milestones and to receive royalties on future sales. Incyte also has an option to co-promote the cMET inhibitor in the US and to participate in the cMET inhibitor's global development.
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