GSK is taking legal action against US biotech firm AnaptysBio, which it accuses of a ‘material breach’ of contractual obligations over a drug licencing agreement.
The FTSE 100 firm told investors on Friday it had initiated litigation against San Diego-based AnaptysBio in a Delaware court over an existing license agreement with GSK subsidiary Tesaro for cancer drug Jemperli.
Licence agreements give pharma firms the right to market and sell a drug invented elsewhere, usually in exchange for up-front fees, royalties and milestone payments.
GSK said AnaptysBio’s alleged breach entitles Tesaro to terminate the current license agreement, obtain a ‘perpetual and irrevocable’ licence to the drug, and to reduce the royalties and milestone owed to the US firm by 50 per cent.
The lawsuit follows allegations made by AnaptysBio that Tesaro has not fulfilled ‘certain requirements’ on its end, GSK said.
AnaptysBio is planning to revoke Tesaro’s licence for the drug.
Jemperli is currently approved in over 35 countries for use in certain endometrial cancers.
‘GSK and Tesaro are firmly of the view that these allegations are entirely without merit,’ the group said.
Jemperli, also known as dostarlimab, is currently approved in over 35 countries for use in certain endometrial cancers.
GSK said it has enjoyed ‘significant growth’ for the drug, driven by label expansions – or applying for and achieving regulatory permission to use the drug for a different use or different demographics of patient.
The group added: ‘A robust and ambitious clinical trial programme to evaluate the potential use of dostarlimab in additional cancers, including rectal, colon and head and neck, is ongoing.’
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