Janssen (NYSE:JNJ) and Leyden Labs (Amsterdam) have signed a licensing agreement that gives the latter rights to develop CR9114, an antibody protecting against influenza A and B.
Leyden hopes to commercialize CR9114 as a nasal spray.
Under the terms of the deal, Janssen will get an upfront payment and could receive milestone payments tied to development- and sales-based milestones. Additionally, Janssen stands to receive tiered royalty payments if CR9114 is commercialized.
While COVID-19 continues to dominate the news landscape, influenza continues to kill roughly 20,000 people each year, according to CDC.
Preclinical data shows that CR9114 guards against influenza A and B.
“We believe that mucosal protection and treatment with CR9114 will provide people further control to protect themselves from seasonal flu,” said Koenraad Wiedhaup, CEO of Leyden Labs. “Importantly, CR9114 could also play a key role in preventing future flu pandemics.”
CR9114 traces its origins back to research from Janssen subsidiary Crucell Holland B.V. and The Scripps Research Institute related to human monoclonal antibodies with the potential of disabling influenza B viruses. At that time, the CR9114 antibodies protected mice against influenza A and B viruses.
Janssen announced that research initiative in 2012.
Founded in 2020, Leyden Labs focuses on developing mucosal-based therapies that can protect against infection from viral families.
In March 2021, the company received €40 million in Series A funding from GV (previously known as Google Ventures), F-Prime and Casdin Capital.
Filed Under: clinical trials, Drug Discovery, Drug Discovery and Development, Infectious Disease
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