Pharma BD Deal Intelligence
argenx and Janssen (Cilag) entered exclusive global collaboration and license for cusatuzumab (ARGX-110), an anti-CD70 antibody, in December 2018. Janssen paid $300M upfront, JJDC bought $200M in newly issued argenx shares (4.68% stake at EUR 100.02/share), with up to $1.3B in development, regulatory and sales milestones plus tiered double-digit royalties ex-US and 50/50 US co-promotion economics. Lead indication AML/MDS in elderly patients unfit for chemotherapy. The collaboration was terminated in June 2021 when Cilag/Janssen discontinued the agreement following review of all cusatuzumab data and the evolving AML standard of care (venetoclax+azacitidine), returning worldwide rights to argenx. Rather than developing cusatuzumab in-house, argenx co-created OncoVerity, Inc. in 2022 with the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and UCHealth as an asset-centric spin-off, then granted OncoVerity an exclusive license to cusatuzumab in 2023 and provided funding (with additional participation in a 2024 financing round). As of 2024-2025 OncoVerity is the program sponsor: the Phase 2 OV-AML-1231 trial (NCT06384261) of cusatuzumab plus venetoclax and azacitidine versus venetoclax+azacitidine in newly diagnosed AML unfit for intensive therapy began July 2024 (active, not recruiting; estimated primary completion January 2027).