LG Chem Lands Innovent As China Partner For Gout Candidate

Innovent Biologics has agreed on a $95.5 million licensing deal with LG Chem Life Sciences to bring LG Chem’s candidate for gout, tigulixostat, into the Chinese market. 

The LG Chem division will receive a $10 million upfront payment, which could be followed by up to $85.5 million in milestones and tiered royalties on net sales of tigulixostat in China. In exchange, Innovent will gain the exclusive right to develop and commercialize tigulixostat in China. 

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Treatment For Hyperuricemia And Gout

Hyperuricemia, an excess of uric acid in the blood, is a predisposing condition for gout and is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases worldwide. Its prevalence rate in China is as high as 13.3%, while up to 15.5 million hyperuricemia patients show symptoms of gout. 

Current treatments for the disease include xanthine oxidase inhibitors (XOI) such as febuxostat and allopurinol, but they come with limitations. Febuxostat carries a risk to the cardiovascular system, while many Asians may be hypersensitive to allopurinol.

Tigulixostat, a non-purine XOI, is designed to be more effective than the current therapies while maintaining a favorable safety profile. 

In a Phase 2 study called Clue which enrolled 156 gout patients, once-daily tigulixostat treatment resulted in lower serum uric acid (sUA) at all dose levels (50, 100, and 200 mg) after three months. The proportion of gout patients reaching the primary endpoint, sUA < 5 mg/dL, was 47% at 50 mg, 45% at 100mg, and 62% at 200 mg. The response rates to tigulixostat were found to be higher than febuxostat (23%) and placebo (3%). The study was conducted in the US, where tigulixostat is being developed as a frontline treatment. 

The drug was well-tolerated at all dose levels, with no major difference in side effects recorded between the experimental and placebo groups. 

“As hyperuricemia and gout is both a rheumatic disease and a metabolic disease, the collaboration fits into Innovent’s strategic portfolio planning in rheumatic and metabolic areas, as well as creates great synergy with our current pipeline, development resources, and commercial network,” said Innovent President Dr. Yong Jun Liu.

“We will work closely with LG Chem to facilitate the development of Tigulixostat, and we hope to bring the novel product to the market as quickly as possible,” he said.

Author

Joy Lin

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