AstraZeneca Licenses Potential Cardiovascular Therapy for Up to $2 Billion

By Adria Calatayud

AstraZeneca reached a deal valued at up to $2.02 billion to license an experimental therapy for a disorder affecting cholesterol and related cardiovascular diseases from CSPC Pharmaceutical Group.

The U.K. pharmaceutical giant said Monday that CSPC will receive an upfront payment of $100 million and could receive up to $1.92 billion for further development and commercialization milestones plus royalties.

The agreement gives AstraZeneca access to a molecule discovered by CSPC, known as YS2302018, with the aim of developing it as a therapy with potential in a range of cardiovascular diseases, it said.

The molecule that AstraZeneca is licensing has been shown to prevent the formation of a protein that plays a key role in the transport of cholesterol in the blood stream, but has yet to be assessed in clinical trials.

The therapy candidate adds to AstraZeneca's cardiovascular pipeline and could help patients with dyslipidemia--a disorder affecting cholesterol--and related cardiometabolic diseases, said Sharon Barr, AstraZeneca executive vice president and head of bioPharmceuticals research and development.

Write to Adria Calatayud at adria.calatayud@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

October 07, 2024 05:46 ET (09:46 GMT)

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