Oncology Venture enters development deal with Cadila Pharmaceuticals on LiPlaCis® and its Drug Response Predictor

On September 20, 2016 Oncology Venture Sweden AB (OV:ST) and Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Ahmedabad, State of Gujarat, India reported the entering of a co-development agreement to develop the anticancer product LiPlaCis in combination with its Drug Response Predictor – DRP (Press release, Oncology Venture, SEP 20, 2016, View Source;and-its-drug-respo,c2082912 [SID1234561591]). The aim is to evaluate the LiPlaCis efficacy in several different indications and perform a randomized phase 3 trial as corner stone and part of the data package study for marketing approval by the FDA, EMA, CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organization of India). The mutual goal is to sell or out license the product in combination with its Companion Diagnostic (DRP) when the clinical benefit has been documented. Cadila will perform four (4) phase 2 and one pivotal, randomized phase 3 trial over a period of three years. Initiation of individual studies will be announced separately. Cadila will invest in kind in research and drug development activities in 310 cancer patients and DRP screening of more than 1400 patients. In the consortium of owners now including Cadila Pharmaceuticals, LiPlasome, MPI and Oncology Venture – Oncology Venture owns 29% of the total value of the LiPlaCis project after Phase 3. Cadila has commercialization rights in India, Russia, Africa and South East Asia (ASEAN countries only). Oncology Venture has the commercialization rights in America, Europe and China and RoW. Oncology Venture is responsible for the manufacturing and will provide the product. Estimated costs for product in 2017-2018 is 0,6 MUSD. Cadila will in collaboration with an expert team in Oncology Venture set up a laboratory for the tissue handling in India. The DRP analysis will be paid by Cadila and Oncology Venture will provide the DRP evaluations. When developed, the parties may choose to market themselves in their own territories or out-license or sell to a third party. The potential of LiPlaCis sales in the two major indications alone in breast cancer in USA and EU is in excess of 700 MUSD annually and if successful LiPlaCis would compete in a market which currently has a value in excess of 5 billion USD in lung cancer in Europe and USA.

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Around 310 cancer patients will according to the deal partake in clinical trials at a FDA and EMA quality level.
The agreement is entered between Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and Oncology Venture ApS which is 100% owned by Oncology Venture Sweden AB. Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd. is one of the largest privately held pharmaceutical companies in India.

"Cadila is one of the largest privately held pharma companies in India. The transformational partnership with Cadila places Oncology Venture in another league. Together with Cadila we aim to take LiPlaCis and its Drug Response Predictor – DRP – through a strong and focused development program with the goal of receiving marketing approval. We will together with Cadila who invests heavily as an ‘in kind’ investment test LiPlaCis in four promising indications: breast, head & neck, skin and esophageal cancer which gives the drug a really good chance to benefit patients who are likely to respond," says Peter Buhl Jensen, M.D., CEO of Oncology Venture. "In this partnership OV has the opportunity to build a much larger value instead of selling it outright. Cisplatin is one of the most used drugs in cancer treatment and the potential sales with the improved LiPlaCis formulation is huge," Buhl Jensen further comments.

On this occasion, Dr. Rajiv Modi, Chairman and Managing Director, Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd., said, "Cadila Pharmaceuticals believes in providing world-class healthcare products to improve quality of life of patients. This agreement with Oncology Venture is an affirmation of our commitment to develop novel treatment for those diseases in the realm of unmet medical needs. Cancer affects millions of people around the globe. We look forward to developing the product to benefit millions of patients who are affected by the deadly disease."

The Partnership deal
The deal with Cadila Pharmaceuticals will finance and perform studies in a total of 310 cancer patients with highest likelihood of sensitivity to LiPlaCis. The deal covers the following:
1. Screening by the use of the LiPlaCis-DRP of 1 250 metastatic breast cancer patients to identify 250 patients with high likelihood to respond to LiPlaCis treatment and perform a randomized phase 3 trial in these 250 patients comparing standard therapy with LiPlaCis.
2. Through Cadilas strong network and Cadilas CRO run four (4) clinical Phase 2 trials in 20 patients (out of 100 screened) with Head & Neck cancer, 20 prostate cancer patients (out of 100 screened), and 10 skin cancer patients and 10 esophagus cancer patients – the two latter indications are in a high frequency sensitive to cisplatin – of which LiPlaCis is an improved formulation – why the patients will not be screened.

Cadila has commercialization rights in India, Russia, Africa and South East Asia (ASEAN countries only), Oncology Venture has the commercialization rights to America, Europe and China and RoW. Oncology Venture will be responsible for the manufacturing and pay for manufacturing of the product. Estimated costs for product in 2017-2018 is 0,6 MUSD. In the consortium of owners now including Cadila Pharmaceuticals, LiPlasome, MPI and Oncology Venture – Oncology Venture owns 29% of the total value of the LiPlaCis project after Phase 3. When developed parties may choose to market themselves in their own territories or out license or sell to a third party.

About the LiPlaCis license from LiPlasome Pharma and the DRP license from MPI
Oncology Venture has in-licensed LiPlaCis from LiPlasome Pharma and the LiPlaCis DRP from MPI and has now entered a development partnership with Cadila Pharma. The financial impact is as follows: In the consortium of owners now including Cadila Pharmaceuticals, LiPlasome, MPI and Oncology Venture – Oncology Venture owns 29% of the total value of the LiPlaCis project after Phase 3.OV pays for the manufacturing of the product. Oncology Venture did not pay any upfront payment to LiPlasome but pays 2×9 MUSD in sales milestones to LiPlasome once LiPlaCis is commercialized either via a partner or sold on the market. (please see latest company prospectus).Cost of clinical trials in oncology all phases per patient 59.500 USD (PhRMA 2013).
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