KYORIN Pharmaceutical (TYO:4569) said it signed an exclusive license agreement with U.S.-based biotechnology firm Hinge Bio to develop and commercialize HB2198 in Japan, according to a Wednesday filing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Kyorin will pay $10 million upfront and up to $95 million in milestones tied to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), along with royalties on sales. The Japanese drugmaker will also share in clinical development costs.
HB2198, a bispecific antibody that targets CD19 and CD20 molecules on B cells, is designed to reset the immune system and is being prepared for a Phase 1 trial in the U.S. for SLE.