Novartis in US$465m deal with 3B Pharmaceuticals GmbH

Under the agreement, which foresees US$425m in milestones plus royalities on future sales for 3B Pharmaceuticals GmbH (3BP), Basel-based pharma giant Novartis AG has acquired exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialise 3BP’s FAP-targeting theranostic peptides and peptidomimetics that are linked to radioisotope chelators. The deal includes the further clinical development of Novartis’ licenced radioligand FAP-2286, which links fibroblast activation protein (FAP), a promising theranostic target expressed in a majority of solid tumours to the radioisotope Lutetium-177. Berlin-based 3BP, hoewever, retains certain rights to develop FAP-targeted imaging agents.

3BP licenced the FAP-targeting platform technology from Clovis Oncology in 2019 and agreed to licencing of FAP-2286 to Novartis by Clovis, which filed for bankruptcy later that year. Under the new deal, Novartis subsidiary Novartis Innovative Therapies AG licences 3BP’s entire FAP-targeting peptide platform.

While Swiss Roche AG and Molecular Partners AG have set their hopes on cancer immune therapeutics such as bispecific FAP/4-1BB and FAP/CD40 antibodies and darpins, respectively, Novartis has recently put more focus on targeted radiotherapy. A recent US$ 1.7bn biobucks deal with British Bicycle Therapeutics plc underlines Novartis’ committment to targeted radioisotope technology.