Almirall licenses an anti-IL-21 monoclonal antibody from Novo Nordisk to develop it as a first-in-class agent in dermatology
NN-8828 is a first-in-class monoclonal antibody in dermatology with high affinity for the cytokine IL-21 that has been developed by Novo Nordisk to Phase II in non-dermatological indications.
Almirall announced this February an exclusive license agreement with Novo Nordisk for rights to the IL-21 blocking monoclonal antibody NN-8828. Under the agreement, Almirall obtains global rights to develop and commercialize this monoclonal antibody in certain fields, including immune inflammatory dermatological diseases.
Almirall will accelerate the development of the asset to address key dermatological diseases taking responsibility for the global development and future commercialization in these indications. Novo Nordisk will receive an upfront payment as well as additional development and commercial milestone payments and tiered royalties based upon future global sales.
NN-8828 is a first-in-class in dermatology, high affinity monoclonal antibody that targets the cytokine IL-21 and has been developed by Novo Nordisk up to Phase ll in non-dermatological indications. NN-8828 has the potential to block the activation of the downstream signaling pathways of IL-21 and inhibit the pathophysiological functions induced by this cytokine in several immune cells. This differentiated mechanism makes NN-8828 a promising option for the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune skin disorders.
"At Almirall, we are dedicated to developing the best possible treatments for patients suffering from skin diseases.” said Dr. Karl Ziegelbauer, Chief Scientific Officer of Almirall. “This new partnership builds on our innovation strategy and will allow us to explore the innovative approach of IL-21 blockage as a possible new pathway to effectively treat a range of dermatological diseases.”
The company also announced earlier this year an exclusive license agreement for the ZKN-013 asset with Eloxx Pharmaceuticals. Under the agreement, Almirall has obtained global rights to develop and commercialize ZKN-013, including its use in orphan dermatological diseases. ZKN-013 is a potentially promising, orally administered drug that enables host cells to produce functional proteins that counteract the root cause of nonsense mutations in rare dermatological diseases and potentially others. This drug candidate is expected to enter Phase I development in healthy volunteers soon.