AstraZeneca (LSE:AZN) has agreed to pay Chinese biotechnology company Dizal Pharmaceutical $600 million upfront to acquire the worldwide development and commercialisation rights to its lung cancer treatment, Sunvozertinib, according to a filing made by Dizal with the Shanghai Stock Exchange.
Sunvozertinib, marketed as Zegfrovy, is already approved in both the United States and China for the treatment of adults with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
According to the American Cancer Society, non-small cell lung cancer accounts for around 77% of all lung cancer cases, making it the most common form of the disease.
Clinical data from a late-stage multinational trial involving 324 patients demonstrated that those treated with Sunvozertinib achieved a median progression-free survival of 10.3 months, compared with 7.5 months for patients receiving chemotherapy.
Under the terms of the agreement, Dizal will receive an initial payment of $600 million and could earn up to an additional $900 million through development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments.
The transaction gives AstraZeneca exclusive global rights to further develop and commercialise the therapy, expanding the company’s oncology portfolio and strengthening its position in targeted lung cancer treatments.
Dave Fredrickson, Executive Vice President of AstraZeneca’s Oncology Haematology Business Unit, said: “With this agreement, we will bring a differentiated, oral targeted treatment to these patients with limited options across the globe.”
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