Oxford 13 November 2017; Celleron Therapeutics Limited, the UK based precision cancer medicines company, developing novel small molecule therapeutics, announced today that it has signed Licensing and Co-development agreements for China and South Africa with Nuance Biotech, the Shanghai based drug development and commercialisation company.
Under the terms of the agreements Nuance Biotech receives a license to develop and commercialise Celleron’s clinical stage drugs in indications of high unmet need, in return for payments of double-digit royalties and of milestones relating to the development and commercialization of the products in China and South Africa.
Nuance and Celleron will collaborate on the clinical development of both products with Nuance taking the lead on the development of CXD201 in colorectal cancer (CRC) and on the development of Peripheral T Cell Lymphoma for CXD101. Nuance will also contribute centers to a global trial of CXD101 in combination with immuno-oncology agents. CRC is one of the leading types of cancer in China and the introduction of the first oral topoisomerase inhibitor represents a unique opportunity for Nuance.
Professor Nicholas La Thangue, CEO of Celleron Therapeutics, commented,
“We are delighted to be working with Nuance Biotech to develop both CXD101 and CXD201 in China in indications where there is very high unmet need, particularly in HCC. Nuance is a leading edge company with proven expertise in clinical trials of novel cancer drugs. We are excited to be working with them”.
Mark Lotter, CEO of Nuance Biotech, said,
“This agreement with Celleron gives Nuance the opportunity to develop novel products, both alone and in combination, for China and South Africa. China is the world’s second largest market with oncology being a core driver of growth allows Nuance to actively compete with both multi-national companies and emerging domestic players. We are very pleased to use our experienced development team in China and South Africa to utilize the strong relationships we have with leading academic hospitals and also to have the relationship with a company originating from the University of Oxford.”
About Celleron Therapeutics
Celleron Therapeutics, based on the Oxford Science Park, UK, is a drug development company focussed on precision medicine for cancer. It is a spin-out of Oxford University and has secured a number of exclusive licence agreements with pharmaceutical companies, including Astra Zeneca. Celleron’s precision medicine approach is supported by a companion diagnostic biomarker platform, which allows new drugs to be tailored to responsive tumours. Celleron has two Phase 2 clinical assets: CXD101 is a novel dual mechanism HDAC inhibitor which has unique immuno-modulatory effects in tumour cells, and CXD201 represents a new type of topoisomerase inhibitor.
About Nuance Biotech
Nuance Biotech is a leading China based biotech company based in Shanghai and focussed on commercial, regulatory and development stage assets run by an experienced China based management team with a strong track record. Nuance is backed a leading global tier 1 investor with more than USD 3 billion under management in China through Matrix Partners. The company strategy and approach allows for a highly scalable commercial and drug development model and has the ability to run multiple initiatives.