Helsinn Group (Helsinn), a fully integrated, global biopharma company with a diversified pipeline of innovative oncology assets and strong track-record of commercial execution, and BridgeBio Pharma, Inc. (BridgeBio), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company that focuses on genetic diseases and cancers, announced an update to their existing strategic collaboration to develop, manufacture and commercialize infigratinib for oncology indications.
Under the terms of the amended and restated agreement, Helsinn will gain an exclusive license to commercialize infigratinib in the U.S. and will be responsible for developing, manufacturing and commercializing infigratinib in oncology indications worldwide except for achondroplasia or any other skeletal dysplasias and except in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. BridgeBio will be eligible to receive regulatory and commercial milestone payments as well as tiered royalties on adjusted net sales from Helsinn. BridgeBio will retain all rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize infigratinib in skeletal dysplasia, including achondroplasia.
In 2021, Helsinn and BridgeBio obtained accelerated approval for TRUSELTIQ™ (infigratinib) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of adults with previously treated, unresectable locally advanced or metastatic cholangiocarcinoma with a fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) fusion or other rearrangement as detected by an FDA-approved test. Additionally, the two parties received conditional approval by Health Canada and provisional approval by the Therapeutics Goods Association in Australia for TRUSELTIQ™ (infigratinib) for the treatment of adults with previously treated, unresectable locally advanced or metastatic cholangiocarcinoma with a FGFR2 fusion or other rearrangement. Continued approval in the U.S., Canada and Australia for this indication may be contingent upon confirmatory trials.
Infigratinib is not FDA-, Health Canada- or Therapeutics Goods Association-approved for any other indication in the United States, Canada and Australia, and is not approved for use by any other health authority.
Giorgio Calderari, Helsinn Group CEO commented, “We are delighted to gain the exclusive license to commercialize infigratinib in the U.S. This perfectly complements our recently announced Fully Integrated Targeted Therapy (FITT) Strategy and will utilize our unique capabilities and expertise to take products through development and to patients living with cancer across the globe. BridgeBio is a great partner, and we are looking forward to continuing our relationship with them through our non-exclusive collaboration framework to propose co-development and co-commercialization opportunities for preclinical precision oncology programs.”
“We are expanding our partnership with Helsinn so that even more patients with FGFR-driven cancers will ultimately be able to access infigratinib. Focused execution means reducing the scope of our internal activity. We will continue to advance high-quality programs in our pipeline, while allowing Helsinn to develop and commercialize infigratinib in cancer indications for patients in need,” said Neil Kumar, Ph.D., founder and CEO of BridgeBio.
In March 2021, Helsinn and BridgeBio entered into a global license and collaboration agreement to co-commercialize infigratinib for oncology in the U.S. and to co-develop, manufacture and commercialize infigratinib for such indications outside the U.S., excluding mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. BridgeBio previously entered a strategic collaboration with LianBio for development and commercialization of infigratinib in oncology indications in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau.
In November 2021, Helsinn and BridgeBio entered into a strategic collaboration to co-develop and co-commercialize a potentially first-in-class inhibitor designed to target glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), which will be investigated in patients with difficult-to-treat tumors. Alongside this, Helsinn and BridgeBio established a new non-exclusive collaboration framework agreement that allows the companies to propose co-development and co-commercialization opportunities for preclinical precision oncology programs. The terms in this strategic collaboration have not changed.