Feb 18 (Reuters) – Australia’s CSL said on Wednesday it had entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Eli Lilly and Co, granting it certain rights to develop and commercialise clazakizumab, an antibody aimed at preventing heart-related illness and death in people with end‑stage kidney disease.
CSL will receive an upfront payment of $100 million and be eligible to receive potential clinical, regulatory and commercial milestone payments, as well as royalties on global net sales.
Clazakizumab blocks IL‑6 from binding its receptor, which may dampen the downstream inflammatory cascade that drives symptoms and disease progression in immuno‑inflammatory disorders, CSL said.
“Clazakizumab is a promising therapeutic candidate with the potential to significantly impact the treatment landscape for various immuno-inflammatory and cardiovascular conditions,” said Bill Mezzanotte, head of research and development at CSL.
The Australian biopharmaceutical firm added that closing of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.
(Reporting by Shivangi Lahiri in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)
