Sobi in €387m orphan drug deal with Novimmune

The exclusive licence agreement will give Sobi the rights to emapalumab, an anti-interferon-gamma monoclonal antibody, which currently being reviewed by the FDA for the treatment of primary Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). HLH is a rare life-threatening syndrome of immune activation, for which there is currently no treatment on the market.

Sobi is paying the Swiss drug discovery company Novimmune CHF50m (€43m) upfront, with a total of CHF400m (€344m) following over the next 8 years.

Sobi also signed a non-binding letter of intent with Novimmune giving it the option to acquire all assets relating to emapalumab at a later date, which would also include the transfer of relevant employees, and options for exclusive development and commercialisation rights to preclinical products in the field of immuno-oncology, NI-1801 and NI-1701.

“Novimmune has brought emapalumab all the way from discovery through development to the brink of regulatory approval. Now is the right time to bring in a partner with substantial commercial capabilities to take the next step of making the product available for patients in need,” said Novimmune’s Chairman and CEO Eduardo Enrico Holdener. “In Sobi we see a strong partner with a proven ability to further develop, commercialise and provide access to innovative treatments for rare disease patients across European and US markets. Pending approval by the FDA, this means that patients who suffer from HLH will be able to benefit from emapalumab, the only targeted medicine specifically developed for the treatment of HLH.”

“We believe this transaction is an excellent fit for Sobi and consistent with our strategy of expanding our commercial Specialty Care portfolio, strengthening our geographic footprint, particularly in the US, and building our R&D pipeline,” added Sobi President and CEO Guido Oelkers. “Our strategic goal is to build our Specialty Care business area as a complement to Haemophilia, allowing Sobi to advance our position to become global leaders in rare diseases.”