Immunomedics licenses developing, marketing rights for epratuzumab to UCB

By E. Janene Geiss

Philadelphia, May 10 - Immunomedics, Inc. and UCB announced Wednesday a collaboration and license agreement for Immunomedics' lead product, epratuzumab, that grants UCB the exclusive worldwide rights to develop, market and sell epratuzumab for all autoimmune disease indications.

Immunomedics said it will receive initial cash payments of $38 million over the next 10 business days and could receive potential milestone payments of up to $145 million in cash and $20 million in equity investments depending on geography approval and approval in different indications over several years.

In addition to receiving royalties on sales, Immunomedics said it also could receive sales bonuses upon reaching certain sales target levels.

Epratuzumab's most advanced program is for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus, or lupus. It has been granted FDA Fast Track designation and is currently undergoing two phase 3 clinical trials, according to a company news release.

Under the terms of the agreement, UCB said it will assume all costs associated with current and future clinical development and commercialization of epratuzumab for the treatment of patients with lupus.

Epratuzumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against the CD22 marker expressed on activated B-cells, was developed and manufactured internally at Immunomedics and is covered by worldwide patents.

Immunomedics is a Morris Plains, N.J., biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of monoclonal, antibody-based products for the targeted treatment of cancer, autoimmune and other serious diseases.

UCB is a Brussels, Belgium, biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the research, development and commercialization of products in the fields of central nervous system disorders, allergy/respiratory diseases, immune and inflammatory disorders and oncology.

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