Vifor Pharma and Angion Biomedica Corp. (Angion) announced the signing of a licensing agreement for the commercialization of ANG-3777, currently being developed for treatment of delayed graft function (DGF) and cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CSA-AKI). ANG3777 was engineered to mimic the biological activity of HGF, activating critical pathways in the body’s natural organ repair process following an acute organ injury.
Under the terms of the agreement, Vifor Pharma will receive an exclusive global license, excluding China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau, for all ANG-3777 nephrology indications. Angion will receive up to $80 million which includes a $30 million upfront payment, a $30 million equity investment, and $20 million in clinical study milestone payments. Additionally Angion is eligible to receive up to $260 million in market access related milestones upon approval in US and EU, further payments in the form of sales milestones, and tiered royalties on global net sales up to 40% at the high end of the royalty range.
“This agreement highlights the leadership position that Vifor Pharma has developed in the nephrology space and the fact that it has become the company of choice for organizations committed to partnering innovative nephrology focused assets,“ said Stefan Schulze, Chief Executive Officer of Vifor Pharma. “Angion is an excellent partner with an outstanding expertise leading to the development of this exciting asset and other pipeline products. We look forward to working closely with Angion, who will be responsible for the ongoing development program of ANG-3777, and to leveraging our commercial expertise to bring this highly promising, innovative treatment with a unique mode of action to patients suffering from DGF and CSA-AKI. These are both critical conditions, currently without any effective or approved therapies.”
“Vifor Pharma is one of the world leaders in the nephrology space and we are very excited to partner with them on the commercialization of ANG3777 for nephrology indications,” stated Dr. Jay Venkatesan, President and CEO of Angion. “This is a major milestone for the team at Angion who has worked for many years to develop ANG-3777 as a therapy for patients with acute kidney injuries. We look forward to Phase 3 data in DGF towards the end of 2021 and working with Vifor Pharma to potentially bring ANG-3777 to nephrology patients worldwide.”
Addressable patients with DGF is estimated to be about 15,000 and approximately 110,000 with CSA-AKI in the US/EU5 each year.
Angion will be responsible for conducting the ongoing nephrology-focused clinical development programs. Angion and Vifor Pharma will share responsibilities for regulatory filings in the licensed territories and Vifor Pharma will be responsible for all commercialization activities related to nephrology indications in all licensed territories.