March 19, 2020
Asahi Kasei Pharma Corp.

Asahi Kasei Pharma today concluded a license agreement with SBI Biotech Co., Ltd. Under the terms of the agreement, Asahi Kasei Pharma will acquire the exclusive worldwide rights to develop, manufacture, and market SBI-3150, currently in the pre-clinical stage as a treatment for various autoimmune diseases. In return, SBI Biotech will receive an upfront fee, development milestones, and royalties on sales.

SBI-3150 is a monoclonal antibody that recognizes phospholipase D family member 4 (PLD4) which is specifically expressed by plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs)¹ and activated B-cells², leading to immune suppression.

Through this license agreement, Asahi Kasei Pharma hopes that SBI-3150 will provide a new therapeutic option for autoimmune diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus.

• ¹Immune cells that have been called the “control tower” of the immune system, pDCs are known to play an important role in the onset of autoimmune diseases.
• ²A class of lymphocyte, B-cells exhibit an immune effect by producing antibodies when activated by the presence of foreign antigens. It is known that the production of autoantibodies by activated B-cells is related to autoimmune disorders.

News