Frontier Biotech and GSK Join Forces in Global Licensing Agreement for siRNA Therapies

Frontier Biotech and GSK Establish a Groundbreaking Agreement

In a major development in biotechnology, Frontier Biotechnologies Inc. has announced an exclusive global licensing agreement with GSK, the renowned biopharmaceutical company. This partnership allows GSK to gain exclusive rights to develop, manufacture, and market two of Frontier Biotech's promising small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutic products. One of these products is currently progressing through the Investigational New Drug (IND) stage, while the other is in the preclinical candidate phase.

This agreement is an important milestone that highlights Frontier Biotech's early-stage expertise in discovering and developing siRNA-based therapeutics, reflecting its ambition to advance its global development strategy. The terms of the deal will see Frontier receive an upfront payment of $40 million and potential milestone payments totaling up to $963 million, contingent on achieving regulatory success and commercialization goals for both programs. Additionally, Frontier will earn tiered royalties on worldwide net sales of the therapies.

As part of the agreement, Frontier will spearhead the initial development of both therapeutics, conducting the Phase I clinical trial of one of them in China while completing the preparatory activities for the IND of the other. Post-initial development, GSK takes the reins, overseeing the worldwide clinical development, regulatory submissions, and later commercialization efforts.

Dong Xie, the CEO of Frontier Biotech, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, "We are thrilled to finalize this agreement with GSK, a world-class biopharmaceutical company. This reflects increasing recognition of our research and development capabilities. The agreement will strengthen Frontier Biotech's foundations by deepening international collaborations, accelerating the conversion of pipeline value, and eventually leading to market launch."

The past few years have seen oligonucleotides, such as siRNA-based therapies, emerge as a significant development opportunity in the global pharmaceutical sector. siRNA therapies aim to address traditional drug development limitations by enabling precise inhibition of previously undruggable target genes, delivering sustainable, highly specific efficacy, and providing a versatile platform suitable for a broad spectrum of diseases. The surge in siRNA therapeutics is set to transition from rare disease applications to chronic and prevalent conditions like cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, as well as metabolic disorders, showcasing immense market potential.

Kaivan Khavandi, Senior Vice President and Global Head of R&D for Respiratory, Immunology, and Inflammation at GSK, highlighted the significance of the agreement, stating, "This deal further strengthens our immunology product portfolio by adding two potential first-in-class oligonucleotide therapies, which offer considerable opportunities to enhance outcomes for patients suffering from various renal diseases. These assets align perfectly with our strategy focused on platform technologies and inflammatory diseases, and we look forward to working with Frontier Biotech to advance them forward."

About GSK

GSK is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to unite science, technology, and talent to combat disease. For more information, please visit gsk.com.

About Frontier Biotech

Frontier Biotechnologies Inc. is a research-based, publicly traded biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of innovative medicines. Based in Shanghai, Frontier Biotech developed China's first new HIV drug, Aikening (Albuvirtide), which is also the world’s first long-acting injectable HIV fusion inhibitor. With a strong scientific sales team, they aim to promote Aikening across China and five emerging markets while keenly focusing on creating innovative medicines centered around siRNA technology, leading to a robust product pipeline in antiviral drugs, osteoporosis, metabolic diseases, and hyperlipidemia. For further insights, visit frontierbiotech.com.