Oct 23 (Reuters) - Zymeworks said on Friday Roche has gained rights to develop and commercialize its experimental lung cancer drug under a global licensing deal worth up to $813 million.
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Zymeworks will receive $55 million upfront and an additional $40 million when the Swiss drugmaker begins a planned dose-optimization study of the drug ZW209
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Roche will take over the development of the treatment after Zymeworks completes the dose-escalation portion of an ongoing early-stage study
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The company said the drug targets DLL3, a protein commonly found on small-cell lung cancer cells but rarely seen in healthy tissue
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Roche has agreed to partner on ZW209 before efficacy data were available because of "the innovation and differentiation in our trispecific T-cell engager platform," Zymeworks CEO Kenneth Galbraith told Reuters
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The first patient is expected to be enrolled before the end of 2026, Galbraith said
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The company said it could receive up to $718 million in development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments, in addition to tiered royalties on future sales
Reporting by Sahil Pandey in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar
Source: Reuters