Oasmia acquires rights to cancer drug candidate Cantrixil in $44m deal
pharmafile | March 1, 2021 | News story | Sales and Marketing | Cancer, Kazia, Oasmia
Oasmia Pharmaceutical, an innovation-focused specialty pharmaceutical company, is set to acquire exclusive global development rights for Kazia Therapeutics’ ovarian cancer drug candidate Cantrixil in a $44 million deal.
The agreement is the first in a series of planned in-licensing deals and acquisitions to expand Oasmia’s oncology portfolio.
Oasmia will acquire the licence for an upfront cash consideration of $4 million, development milestones worth up to $42 million, and cumulative sales-based royalties.
In addition to its promise as stand-alone therapy, Cantrixil has the potential to complement the company’s lead product for ovarian cancer, Apealea, through treatment protocols to be developed. It may also offer synergies with Oasmia’s XR-17 technology platform, which could enhance solubility in various routes of administration.
Currently under development, Cantrixil is believed to target a wide spectrum of cancer cells, including chemotherapy-resistant tumour-initiating cells that are thought to be responsible for disease relapse. Top-line results from a Phase I, open-label study published in December showed the drug met its primary endpoints, establishing clinical proof of concept, subject to further clinical evaluation and confirmation.
A Phase II study with Cantrixil is expected to be initiated next year.
Dr François Martelet, CEO of Oasmia, commented: “This agreement is the first step in our transformative ‘string of pearls’ strategy designed to achieve critical mass in Oasmia’s oncology portfolio. Cantrixil is an exciting addition and builds on our development expertise in ovarian cancer.
“Acquiring rights to Cantrixil, which has established clinical proof of concept, is a major step forward in executing our strategy, and we will continue to leverage our development and partnering expertise to expand our oncology pipeline.”
James Garner, CEO and Managing Director at Kazia Therapeutics, added: “We are excited by the potential of this novel candidate to target and kill tumour-initiating cells responsible for cancers originating, metastasising, and relapsing. These slower-growing tumour-initiating cells are often resistant to other types of chemotherapies.
“Cantrixil has the potential to become a standard front-line agent, complementing the use of platinum therapy in ovarian cancer patients. Oasmia’s expertise and track record in developing oncology drugs through to approval makes them ideally placed to continue the development of Cantrixil forward to benefit patients who currently have limited treatment options.”
Darcy Jimenez
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