TEL AVIV, Israel I December 14, 2023 I
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., (NYSE and TASE:TEVA) and Biolojic Design Ltd. ("Biolojic"), a biotechnology company that uses computational biology and artificial intelligence to transform antibodies into intelligent medicinal solutions, today announced an exclusive license agreement to develop a potential novel antibody-based therapy for the treatment of Atopic Dermatitis and Asthma.
BD9 is a dual specific antibody that can block both TSLP (Thymic stromal lymphopoietin) and IL-13, and has the potential to deliver treatment across typically TH2-driven inflammatory diseases, such as atopic dermatitis and asthma. Existing drugs currently approved by health authorities focus on only one of these two drivers of inflammation, and do not respond to pathway dynamics. When TSLP or IL13 is upregulated BD9 can bind to either target with both arms and with high affinity, therefore having the potential to help more patients and improve outcomes.
This agreement supports one of Teva’s key pillars in its Pivot to Growth strategy announced in May 2023, to step up innovation, by enhancing the Company’s early-stage pipeline organically and through strategic partnerships.
Richard Francis, Teva’s President and CEO
: “Our Pivot to Growth strategy is opening a new era for Teva as we step up innovation and accelerate development of novel therapies in our immunology pipeline powered both by our inherent antibody engineering capabilities and exciting partnerships. Based on the size of the indications and validity of the targets, this collaboration with Biolojic presents an incredible opportunity to bring this treatment to many patients. As BD9 can tune itself to the specific underlying conditions of the disease and potentially help more patients who do not respond to current therapies and improve outcomes for existing responders and thus addressing a large unmet need."
Yanay Ofran, Ph.D., CEO and founder of Biolojic Design:
"We are excited about the opportunity to work with Teva and bring hope to patients. The potential therapy we designed for Atopic Dermatitis and Asthma is another example of how AI can revolutionize drug development. Biolojic’s AI platform allows us to rethink and reimagine what drugs can do. Our platform has already yielded the first AI designed antibody that entered the clinic. As Biolojic continues to focus on developing its internal fully owned pipeline, we are excited that our platform may allow Teva to develop BD9 as a novel therapeutic approach that has the potential to be best-in-class."
Under the terms of the agreement, Teva will receive exclusive rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize BD9 worldwide. In exchange, Biolojic will receive an upfront payment, and will be eligible to receive subsequent milestone payments over the next several years, based on the achievement of certain pre-clinical, clinical, regulatory, and commercial milestones. Biolojic is also eligible to receive tiered royalties in the mid-single to low-double digit on product sales should Teva successfully commercialize a therapy.
About Teva
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE and TASE: TEVA) has been developing and producing medicines to improve people’s lives for more than a century. We are a global leader in generic and innovative medicines with a portfolio consisting of over 3,500 products in nearly every therapeutic area. Around 200 million people around the world take a Teva medicine every day and are served by one of the largest and most complex supply chains in the pharmaceutical industry. Along with our established presence in generics, we have significant innovative research and operations supporting our growing portfolio of innovative and biopharmaceutical products. Learn more at
www.tevapharm.com
.
About Biolojic
Biolojic Design is an Israeli company that aims to transform antibodies into intelligent medicinal solutions through AI and computational design. Biolojic’s AI platform generates computationally designed antibodies that bind to predefined epitopes, thus allowing for the design of specific functions: agonism, antagonism and selective binding. The platform can generate multi-specific antibodies that act as logic gates executing “and” or “or” function and can serve as molecular switches. Biolojic’s pipeline focuses on autoimmune and immuno-oncology, unlocking validated pathways that address large unmet needs.
SOURCE:
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries
