On December 4, 2020 Y-mAbs Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: YMAB) (the "Company" or "Y-mAbs") a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel, antibody-based therapeutic products for the treatment of cancer and Takeda Israel, a wholly owned subsidiary of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TSE:4502/NYSE:TAK) ("Takeda") reported that they have entered into an exclusive license and distribution agreement for the registration and commercialization in Israel of DANYELZA for the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory high-risk neuroblastoma and omburtamab for the treatment of pediatric patients with CNS/leptomeningeal metastasis from neuroblastoma (Press release, Y-mAbs Therapeutics, DEC 4, 2020, View Source [SID1234572168]). DANYELZA (naxitamab-gqgk) was approved by the U.S. FDA on November 25, 2020. Additionally, Y-mAbs plans to resubmit the amended BLA for omburtamab for the treatment of pediatric patients with CNS/leptomeningeal metastasis from neuroblastoma to the FDA by the end of 2020 or in early 2021.
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Under the terms of the agreement, Takeda will employ its proven platform of sales, access, marketing and regulatory expertise to distribute DANYELZA and omburtamab, if approved, in the territory. The license and distribution agreement includes the State of Israel, West Bank and Gaza Strip. All other geographies worldwide remain with the Company. Financial details were not disclosed.
"We are very pleased to enter into this license and distribution agreement with Takeda, and now expect to see a treatment cluster established in the Middle East, thereby making DANYELZA and omburtamab, if approved, available to children with unmet medical needs in the region," said Thomas Gad, founder, Chairman and President at Y-mAbs.
Arie Kramer, General Manager at Takeda further notes, "Relapsed/refractory high-risk neuroblastoma and CNS/leptomeningeal metastasis from neuroblastoma are cancers for which there are currently no approved therapies in Israel, and we are excited to partner with Y-mAbs, making these compounds available and bringing new hopes to pediatric patients suffering from these devastating conditions in Israel."
Researchers at MSK developed DANYELZA and omburtamab, which are exclusively licensed by MSK to Y-mAbs. As a result of this licensing arrangement, MSK has institutional financial interests in the compounds and in Y-mAbs.
About DANYELZA (naxitamab-gqgk)
DANYELZA (naxitamab-gqgk) is indicated, in combination with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor ("GM-CSF"), for the treatment of pediatric patients 1 year of age and older and adult patients with relapsed or refractory high-risk neuroblastoma in the bone or bone marrow who have demonstrated a partial response, minor response, or stable disease to prior therapy. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefits in a confirmatory trial. DANYELZA includes a Boxed Warning for serious infusion-related reactions, such as cardiac arrest and anaphylaxis, and neurotoxicity, such as severe neuropathic pain and transverse myelitis. See full Prescribing Information for complete Boxed Warning and other important safety information.
About Neuroblastoma
Neuroblastoma is a solid tumor of childhood that arises in the nervous system, outside of the brain. The clinical behavior of neuroblastoma is highly variable, with some tumors being easily treatable, but the majority being very aggressive. All patients are staged based on the International Neuroblastoma Staging System Committee ("INSS") system, ranging from stage 1 through stage 4S. All patients with stage 4 disease diagnosed after one year of age are classified in the high-risk category, where the neuroblastoma tumor cells have already metastasized to other sites in the body, such as the bone or bone marrow. Essentially all patients who have tumors with many copies, or amplification, of the MYCN oncogene also have high-risk disease, even if they do not have evidence of the tumor having spread.