Daiichi Sankyo Acquires Intellectual Property Rights for Anti-TA-MUC1 Antibody in DS-3939 from Glycotope GmbH

TOKYO & BASKING RIDGE, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Daiichi Sankyo Company, Ltd (TSE: 4568) announced today that it will pay Glycotope $132.5 million to acquire intellectual property rights of the anti-tumor-associated mucin-1 (TA-MUC1) antibody, gatipotuzumab. Such payment by Daiichi Sankyo satisfies all potential clinical, regulatory and sales milestone payments, as well as royalties of products that include gatipotuzumab as part of a 2018 licensing agreement between the parties. In 2018, Daiichi Sankyo in-licensed exclusive rights to develop and commercialize gatipotuzumab worldwide as an antibody drug conjugate (ADC) from Glycotope.

The anti-TA-MUC1 is the antibody contained in DS-3939, an ADC being developed by Daiichi Sankyo. DS-3939 is a specifically engineered potential first-in-class TA-MUC1 directed medicine designed using Daiichi Sankyo’s proprietary DXd ADC technology. DS-3939 is currently being evaluated in a phase 1/2 clinical trial in patients with several types of advanced solid tumors including non-small cell lung, breast, urothelial, ovarian, biliary tract and pancreatic cancer.

About TA-MUC1
TA-MUC1 is a tumor-specific transmembrane glycoprotein with aberrant glycosylation due to changes of the expression patterns of some sialyltransferases.¹ Based on the overexpression of TA-MUC1 in most human epithelial cancers, it is an attractive target for cancer therapy.² Currently, there are no TA-MUC1 directed therapies approved for any type of cancer.

About DS-3939
DS-3939 is an investigational potential first-in-class TA-MUC1 directed ADC. Designed using Daiichi Sankyo’s proprietary DXd ADC technology, DS-3939 is comprised of a humanized anti-TA-MUC1 antibody, attached to a number of topoisomerase I inhibitor payloads (an exatecan derivative, DXd) via tetrapeptide-based cleavable linkers.

About the ADC Portfolio of Daiichi Sankyo
The Daiichi Sankyo ADC portfolio consists of seven ADCs in clinical development crafted from two distinct ADC technology platforms discovered in-house by Daiichi Sankyo.

The ADC platform furthest in clinical development is Daiichi Sankyo’s DXd ADC Technology where each ADC consists of a monoclonal antibody attached to a number of topoisomerase I inhibitor payloads (an exatecan derivative, DXd) via tetrapeptide-based cleavable linkers. The DXd ADC portfolio currently consists of ENHERTU, a HER2 directed ADC, and DATROWAY, a TROP-2 directed ADC, which are being jointly developed and commercialized globally with AstraZeneca. Patritumab deruxtecan (HER3-DXd), a HER3 directed ADC, ifinatamab deruxtecan (I-DXd), a B7-H3 directed ADC, and raludotatug deruxtecan (R-DXd), a CDH6 directed ADC, are being jointly developed and commercialized globally with Merck & Co., Inc, Rahway, NJ, USA. DS-3939, a TA-MUC1 directed ADC, is being developed by Daiichi Sankyo.

The second Daiichi Sankyo ADC platform consists of a monoclonal antibody attached to a modified pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD) payload. DS-9606, a CLDN6 directed PBD ADC, is the first of several planned ADCs in clinical development utilizing this platform.

Ifinatamab deruxtecan, patritumab deruxtecan, raludotatug deruxtecan, DS-3939 and DS-9606 are investigational medicines that have not been approved for any indication in any country. Safety and efficacy have not been established.

About Daiichi Sankyo
Daiichi Sankyo is an innovative global healthcare company contributing to the sustainable development of society that discovers, develops and delivers new standards of care to enrich the quality of life around the world. With more than 120 years of experience, Daiichi Sankyo leverages its world-class science and technology to create new modalities and innovative medicines for people with cancer, cardiovascular and other diseases with high unmet medical need. For more information, please visit www.daiichisankyo.com.

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References:
¹ Nath S, et al. Trends Mol Med. 2014; 20(6):332-42.
² Fan XN, et al. Pathol Res Pract. 2010; 206(8):585-9.