Jazz Pharmaceuticals and XL-protein GmbH Enter Into a License Agreement on PASylation Technology

Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc announced that it has entered into a license agreement with XL-protein GmbH (“XLp”) for the rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize products using XLp’s PASylation® Technology to extend the plasma half-life of selected asparaginase product candidates.  Under the terms of the agreement, Jazz will gain access to XLp’s PASylation technology to enable construction of asparaginase molecules intended to extend both the circulating half-life and the duration of therapeutic effect.

Jazz has paid an upfront payment of $2 million and will pay XLp for services and support as specified in the license agreement and for the achievement of certain development, regulatory and commercial milestone events, as well as royalties.  Other financial terms are not disclosed.

“We are focused on pursuing development of improved products for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL),” said Russ Cox, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Jazz Pharmaceuticals.  “Through our collaboration with XL-protein and our efforts with leaders in expression technology, we are working towards our goal of developing an effective, well-tolerated and long-acting recombinant crisantaspase that could potentially offer a clinically meaningful therapeutic option for patients with ALL.”

“PASylation technology is a biological alternative to PEGylation, the gold standard for plasma half-life extension of therapeutic proteins and peptides up to now.  We believe that PASylation technology offers facile manufacturing and traceless metabolisation,” commented Arne Skerra, Cofounder and Chairman of XL-protein.  “Historically, asparaginase was one of the first biopharmaceuticals to which PEGylation was applied, and we are excited to work with Jazz Pharmaceuticals to demonstrate the potential of PASylation technology to develop new therapeutic options in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.”