ASLAN Pharmaceuticals announced that it entered an exclusive licence with Zenyaku Kogyo to develop and commercialise eblasakimab (a first-in-class monoclonal antibody) to treat atopic dermatitis in Japan. ASLAN will receive an upfront payment of $12M from Zenyaku and is eligible for an extra $3M if it meets specific conditions relating to phase IIb trial data and delivery of the clinical study report. ASLAN can potentially earn up to $29.5M in development milestones and up to $94M in commercial milestones.
Zenyaku will conduct a phase I study of eblasakimab in Japan during the first half of 2024 and will make royalty payments to ASLAN based on net sales of eblasakimab. ASLAN retains an option to reacquire the rights to eblasakimab in Japan at any time in the future.