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AstraZeneca has entered a strategic research collaboration with Shijiazhuang City-based CSPC Pharmaceuticals Group Limited. Working together on high priority targets, the collaboration aims to advance the discovery and development of novel oral candidates, with the potential to treat diseases across multiple indications.
Under the terms of the agreement, AstraZeneca and CSPC agree to discover and develop pre-clinical candidates for multiple targets with the potential to treat diseases across chronic indications, including a pre-clinical small molecule oral therapy for immunological diseases.
The research will be carried out by CSPC, in Shijiazhuang City and will utilise their AI-driven, dual-engine efficient drug discovery platform. This platform uses AI technology to analyse the binding patterns of target proteins with existing compound molecules, conduct targeted optimization, with the aim of selecting highly effective small molecules with excellent developability.
The collaboration furthers AstraZeneca’s presence in China following the $2.5 billion investment in Beijing announced earlier this year and strengthens the ongoing collaboration with CSPC.
Under the terms of the agreement, CSPC will receive an upfront payment of $110 million, and is also eligible to receive up to $1.62 billion in potential development milestone payments and up to $3.6 billion in sales milestone payments, plus potential single digit royalties based on annual net sales of the products.
Under the agreement, AstraZeneca will have rights to exercise options for exclusive licenses to develop and commercialise worldwide candidates identified under this agreement.
