Biohaven grabs TYK2/JAK1 drug for $20M to start, $950M on the line — to go after Parkinson's

2023-03-23

引进/卖出临床2期临床1期

Biohaven is betting big on targeting brain disorders such as Parkinson’s and potentially Alzheimer’s. The Connecticut biotech announced Wednesday that it in-licensed an oral, brain-penetrant dual inhibitor of TYK2 and JAK1 from Chinese biotech HighlightLL Pharmaceutical. The deal includes $20 million upfront in a 50/50 split between cash and Biohaven equity. The offer includes an additional $950 million in development and commercial milestones, plus royalties. The deal is for a near-global exclusive license, “excluding China region,” for TLL-041, the companies said. Biohaven and HighlightLL will work together to coordinate global clinical development of the asset, now dubbed BHV-8000, according to a statement. Biohaven CEO Vlad Coric told Endpoints News his company came across HighlightLL after starting to focus on immune modulation of nervous system disorders about a year ago, later initiating a “landscape review” to find new candidates. “What you’ve seen immuno-science do in other fields, we’ve yet to tap into that in brain disorders,” the CEO added. Coric said the overall theme will be on CNS indications and broader autoimmune encephalitis, but more specifically, looking at Parkinson’s as a lead indication. In short, Coric said targeting inflammation inside the brain — specifically in the substantia nigra when neurons die — could stop the disease from getting worse. “I and others believe it’s the inflammation in the immune-attacking alpha-synuclein that actually causes the neuronal death. And so with TYK2/JAK1, we can target that inflammatory process, shut it down. And think this could be a neuro-protective process that halts the disease progression,” the CEO added. Coric said TYK2 and JAK1 have already been successfully validated in other conditions related to dermatology or gastrointestinal disorders — where inflammation plays a role in disease. Drugs that target these pathways include Bristol Myers Squibb’s TYK2 drug Sotyktu for plaque psoriasis or AbbVie’s blockbuster JAK1 drug Rinvoq for a host of skin indications. In terms of safety concerns that have previously plagued the JAK pathway — where both EMA and FDA have either restricted access or required warnings on labels, respectively — Coric said that what is important is that JAK2 and JAK3 should be avoided, saying that TYK2 and JAK1 have a “much less propensity to run into the typical safety effects that have hit the JAK inhibitors more broadly.” As for what’s next, Coric said Biohaven has already completed all the IND-enabling work to kick off a Phase I trial later this year. “We’re going to make this a priority. I would say no later than first quarter of next year, to be in a Phase II Parkinson’s trial,” Coric added.

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