Astellas Pharma US, Inc.
NEWS
Astellas Pharma, BridgeBio, BeOne Medicines and six other large biotechs join the 17 Big Pharmas that previously signed on to President Donald Trump’s Most Favored Nation (MFN) drug pricing program, representing some 89% of the branded drug market.
As Sangamo runs out of cash, Eli Lilly and Astellas have emerged as stalking horse bidders for key assets, including a Fabry gene therapy currently being submitted for potential FDA approval.
By closing the Universal Cells Seattle location, Astellas is reportedly consolidating cell therapy, gene therapy and oncology research at its South San Francisco, California, and Westborough, Massachusetts, sites.
Astellas Pharma and CytomX Therapeutics first partnered up in March 2020. For $80 million upfront, the Japanese pharma gained access to the biotech’s Probody platform to generate masked antibody therapies for cancer.
In a Phase 1 study, 82% of patients on VIR-5500 achieved at least a 50% reduction in PSA levels—a result analysts praised as competitive in the prostate cancer space.
At the heart of the deal is an anti-Claudin18.2 antibody-drug conjugate being developed for solid tumors, including gastric cancer and pancreatic cancer.
Drugmakers will have until the end of February to decide whether they want to participate in the second round of Medicare negotiations or not. CMS has until June 1 to send an initial offer for the adjusted prices.
The regulator’s approval on Friday of Vyloy for gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer makes it the first and only claudin 18.2–targeted therapy approved in the U.S. for these indications, according to Astellas.
Astellas is opening a second location of Universal Cells, its wholly owned subsidiary, at a research campus in Japan and transferring 12 roles from Universal’s Seattle location.
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