ABL Bio has announced a global licensing agreement with GSK, allowing the latter to develop medicines for neurodegenerative conditions.
Through this collaboration, GSK will leverage Grabody-B, a blood-brain barrier (BBB) shuttle platform of ABL Bio, to create medicines that can penetrate the brain’s protective barrier.
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The partnership aims to develop several programmes for new targets across therapeutic modalities encompassing polynucleotides, oligonucleotides and antibodies.
The Grabody-B platform targets the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor, allowing the drugs to cross the BBB.
GSK will pay ABL Bio up to £77.1m ($99.39m) in upfront and near-term payments, including an immediate £38.5m ($49.63m) upfront and payment on research milestones and expansion of the programme.
ABL Bio is also qualified for up to £2.075bn in milestone payments, plus royalties on net sales of any commercialised products. The company will provide insights about its platform-related technology to GSK.
GSK will be responsible for the preclinical and clinical development, the manufacturing and the commercialisation of the medicines.
ABL Bio CEO Sang Hoon Lee stated: “This agreement underscores ABL Bio’s leadership in BBB technology and its commitment to advancing transformative therapeutics in neurodegenerative diseases through strategic partnership with global pharmaceutical leaders like GSK.
“Additionally, this agreement will serve as a great opportunity to strengthen ABL Bio’s position in the neurodegenerative disease treatment market through the potential commercialisation of Grabody-B and to expand the modality areas where Grabody-B can be utilised.”
The company’s clinical projects for seven pipelines including ABL001 (tovecimig), ABL111 (givastomig, which was developed jointly by ABL and IMab), and ABL301, are ongoing for various indications in China, Korea, the US and Australia.
ABL001 has gained US Food and Drug Administration fast track designation and its Phase I trial data will be released in 2025.
