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Biogen taps Chinese biotech InnoCare in $125M midstage MS drug pact

July 13, 2021

Biogen is paying $125 million upfront to work on InnoCare’s orelabrutinib, an oral small molecule Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi) that the pair hope can cut it in multiple sclerosis.

Biogen, much in need of some new innovation in multiple sclerosis (MS) given what analysts see as a lack of preparation for a patent cliff for its three key multiple sclerosis drugs—Tysabri, Tecfidera, and Vumerity—is turning to Beijing-based InnoCare Pharma to help.

Orelabrutinib is a covalent BTKi with high selectivity and the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, and is currently being studied in a phase 2 test for relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS).

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