Argenx in cancer drug licensing deal

Argenx is set to receive an upfront payment of US$40m from AbbVie for the exclusive option to license ARGX-115, as well as near-term preclinical milestones of US$20m. Argenx is also eligible to up to US$625m in milestone payments as well as royalties. In return, AbbVie may exercise an exclusive option to license the ARGX-115 programme and take over the further clinical development and commercialisation. Argenx retains the right to co-promote ARGX-115-based products in the EU and Switzerland, and to combine the product with its own future immuno-oncology programmes.

The candidate in question, ARGX-115, targets the novel immuno-oncology target GARP, a protein believed to contribute to immunosuppressive effects of T-cells. Tumours can suppress the immune response by co-opting different immunosuppressive cells such as regulatory T cells, or Tregs, which exert contact-dependent inhibition of immune cells by producing active TGF-ß. On the Treg cell surface, membrane protein GARP regulates the production of active TGF-ß. ARGX-115 binds GARP in complex with inactive TGF-ß, thus preventing release of active TGF-ß. In preclinical studies, ARGX-115 has already shown to inhibit the immunosuppressive activity of human Tregs. Argenx believes the candidate could result in immuno-oncology treatment for many types of cancer.

“We believe that the ARGX-115 programme is a unique opportunity to explore the potential to block certain immune-suppressive pathways that allow cancers to grow,” commented Anil Singhal, Vice President, Early Oncology Development, AbbVie. “ARGX-115 has been developed in collaboration with an outstanding team of academics at the de Duve Institute / Université Catholique de Louvain through our Innovative Access Program, which gives Argenx rights to novel, exciting targets in our areas of therapeutic focus,” added Tim van Hauwermeiren, Chief Executive Officer of Argenx. “We believe ARGX-115 has the potential to advance immuno-oncology by selectively targeting tumour immune escape pathways.”