Roche to Pay USD 75 Mn Upfront for Global Rights to Simcere's Experimental Blood Cancer Drug
Bengaluru: Switzerland's Roche will pay USD 75 million upfront to Simcere Pharmaceutical Group for rights to an experimental blood cancer drug, the Chinese drugmaker said Tuesday.
SIM0660 targets B-cell malignancies, Simcere said in a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange.B cells are a type of white blood cell that produces antibodies. Simcere is also eligible to receive up to about $1.46 billion in payments for unspecified milestones.
Roche will receive exclusive global rights to develop, manufacture and commercialise SIM0660.
A Simcere spokesperson told Reuters SIM0660 is a preclinical product. Roche did not immediately respond to a request for comment on what specific diseases it intended to study SIM0660 for, or potential clinical trial timelines.
