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A partnership between China’s SciNeuro Pharmaceuticals and Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis on Monday has revived hopes for treating Alzheimer’s disease.
The deal, worth nearly US$1.7 billion, grants Novartis exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialise SciNeuro’s antibody candidates to develop drugs for the progressive brain disease.
SciNeuro’s novel amyloid beta targeted antibody programme leverages proprietary blood-brain barrier shuttle technology to help more of the drug cross into the brain where Alzheimer’s damage occurs.
“The anti-amyloid programme represents one of SciNeuro’s key strategic research and development priorities to target the neurodegenerative disease,” said Li Min, founder and CEO of SciNeuro. “This collaboration delivers an optimal synergy, combining our expertise in disease biology and early development with Novartis’ global leadership in clinical development and commercialisation.”
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Under the agreement, SciNeuro will receive an upfront payment of US$165 million and could earn up to US$1.5 billion in development, regulatory and commercial milestones, as well as royalties on future sales.
Over the past three decades, amyloid beta protein has been a primary drug target for the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. This approach has been backed by extensive laboratory and genetic evidence from scientists, according to a 2023 review on amyloid‑based therapy published in a Nature‑affiliated journal.
