Affibody regains rights in selected Asian countries to izokibep

News

January 10, 2025

Stockholm, Sweden, January 10, 2025. Affibody today announced that the company has regained rights to izokibep in selected Asian countries.

In 2020, Affibody and Inmagene Biopharmaceuticals entered into a license and collaboration agreement granting Inmagene Biopharmaceuticals development and commercialization rights to izokibep in selected Asian countries, including China, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan, but excluding Japan. Inmagene Biopharmaceuticals has now terminated the agreement with an effective date of January 10, 2025. All rights under the agreement thereby revert to Affibody.

“I would like to thank Inmagene for what they have brought to the izokibep program and wish them the best following their recently announced reverse merger with Ikena Oncology,” said David Bejker, Chief Executive Officer of Affibody. “At Affibody we remain convinced that izokibep can become a game-changing drug in the dermatology field, particularly for the significant number of patients debilitated by HS.”

About izokibep

Izokibep is small protein Affibody® therapeutic designed to inhibit IL-17A with high potency through tight binding affinity, the potential for robust tissue penetration due to its small molecular size, about one-tenth the size of a monoclonal antibody, and an albumin binding domain that results in improved pharmacokinetic (PK) properties. Clinical trial data support the hypothesis that these unique characteristics of izokibep may provide clinically meaningful and differentiated benefits for patients, including resolution of key manifestations of disease. Izokibep has been administered to more than a thousand patients, some of whom have been dosed for more than three years.

Late-stage trials of izokibep in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) have demonstrated levels of clinical response comparable with next generation approaches to IL-17 inhibition. These data also demonstrate that targeting IL-17A alone with greater potency can achieve the same or better clinical responses than agents targeting IL-17 subunits more broadly than IL-17A, without their associated safety liabilities.

Affibody has licensed worldwide rights to izokibep to ACELYRIN, INC., except in selected Asian countries. Additionally, Affibody has retained an option to co-promote in the Nordic region.

About Affibody® molecules

Affibody® molecules are a novel drug class of small therapeutic proteins with characteristics surpassing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and antibody fragments. The Company has created a large library consisting of more than ten billion Affibody® molecules, all with unique binding sites, from which binders to given targets are selected. Affibody® molecules are only 6 kDa in size.

They have demonstrated clinical utilities both as tumor-targeting moieties through their small size and as efficacious disease blocking agents in autoimmune indications by utilizing the inherent properties that allow multi-specific formats.

About Affibody

Affibody is a clinical stage integrated biopharmaceutical company with a broad product pipeline focused on developing innovative bi- and multi-specific next generation biopharmaceutical drugs based on its unique proprietary technology platform, Affibody® molecules.

Through its validated business model, the company has a proven capability of identifying and prioritizing strategic projects in a timely and de-risked way. Affibody has established several partnerships for the development and commercialization of its innovations with international pharmaceutical companies.

Affibody’s main shareholder Patricia Industries is a part of Investor AB.

Further information can be found at: www.affibody.com.

Affibody regains rights in selected Asian countries to izokibep