argenx and Zai Lab announce strategic collaboration for Efgartigimod in Greater China
argenx SE, a global immunology company committed to improving the lives of people suffering from severe autoimmune diseases and cancer, and Zai Lab Limited, an innovative commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, announced an exclusive license agreement for the development and commercialization of efgartigimod in Greater China, including mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau.
“Through this collaboration with Zai Lab, we are expanding our global footprint in one of the world’s fastest growing markets and reaching more people living with severe autoimmune diseases. By leveraging Zai Lab’s strong local expertise within Greater China and proven development capabilities, we aim to provide broad access to efgartigimod in these important markets as well as accelerate the number of autoimmune indications in clinical development,” said Tim Van Hauwermeiren, Chief Executive Officer of argenx. “We believe that Zai Lab is the ideal partner for us ahead of our first potential approval of efgartigimod in generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) in the U.S. and we are aligned in our mutual passion to bring potential innovative immunology therapies to patients in need.”
“argenx is building a leading immunology company and we are excited to collaborate with them during this important time. Efgartigimod is being evaluated in a broad range of autoimmune diseases and we look forward to bringing this potentially first-in-class product to patients in Greater China,” said Dr. Samantha Du, Founder, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of Zai Lab. “This collaboration also significantly expands and strengthens our pipeline in severe autoimmune diseases, where there is an urgent and serious need for new therapeutic options.”
“There are an estimated 200,000 people living with MG in China,” said Dr. Harald Reinhart, Chief Medical Officer for Autoimmune and Infectious Diseases, Zai Lab. “The unmet medical need is significant for these patients, with very limited treatment options. We believe efgartigimod has a promising profile that, if approved, can potentially change the treatment paradigm not only of gMG but of other autoimmune diseases.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Zai Lab obtains the exclusive right to develop and commercialize efgartigimod in Greater China. Zai Lab will recruit Chinese patients to argenx’s global registrational trials for the development of efgartigimod. Additionally, this agreement is expected to allow argenx to accelerate efgartigimod development by initiating multiple Phase 2 proof-of-concept trials in new autoimmune indications.
argenx will receive $175 million in collaboration payments, comprised of a $75 million upfront payment in the form of 568,182 newly issued Zai Lab shares calculated at a price of $132.00 per share, $75 million as a guaranteed non-creditable, non-refundable development cost-sharing payment, and an additional $25 million milestone payment upon approval of efgartigimod in the U.S. argenx is also eligible to receive tiered royalties (mid-teen to low-twenties on a percentage basis) based on annual net sales of efgartigimod in Greater China.