AC Immune and Takeda ink US$2.1bn biobucks deal

Under the US$2.1bn biobucks deal, Pharma giant Takeda gets the globally exclusive right to licence AC Immune SA’s active immunisation therapy ACI-24.060 that targets Amyloid-beta variants to treat Alzheinmer’s disease. ACI-24.060 is an anti-Abeta active immunotherapy candidate designed to induce a robust antibody response against the toxic forms of Abeta believed to drive plaque formation and Alzheimer’s disease progression. By inducing plaque clearance and efficiently inhibiting plaque formation in the brain, the researcher hope, ACI-24.060 can delay or slow Alzheimer’s disease progression.

ACI-24.060 is being investigated in the ongoing ABATE randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase Ib/II trial to assess the safety, tolerability, immunogenicity and pharmacodynamic effects of the investigational immunotherapy in subjects with prodromal Alzheimer’s disease and in adults with Down syndrome. According to CEO Andrea Pfeifer read-outs after 6 and 12 months will be presented in Q2/2024 and H2/2024, respectively.

According to the agreement, AC Immune will be responsible for completing the ABATE trial. Following option exercise, Takeda would conduct and fund all further clinical development and be responsible for all global regulatory activities as well as worldwide commercialisation. Furthermore, AC Immune will receive an upfront payment of US$100m plus development and sales-based milestones of up to approximately US$2.1bn if all related milestones are achieved over the course of the agreement. Upon commercialisation, AC Immune will be entitled to receive tiered double-digit royalties on worldwide net sales.