SINGAPORE, May 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — S*BIO Pte Ltd today
announced the restructuring of its collaboration and option
agreement with Onyx Pharmaceuticals, which was entered into in
January 2009. As a result, S*BIO has regained North American and
European rights to its novel JAK2 inhibitors, SB1518 and SB1578,
from Onyx. Following a successful and productive partnership
with Onyx, S*BIO will now be in a position to drive the development
of its lead JAK2 program independently.
Recent data from Phase 2 clinical trials of SB1518 indicated
promising clinical efficacy and good tolerability for the treatment
of myelofibrosis (MF), an orphan indication with high unmet medical
need. SB1518 has also demonstrated clinical benefits in
patients with relapsed/refractory lymphoma. S*BIO plans to advance
SB1518 and SB1578 expeditiously through clinical development, with
pivotal trials for SB1518 anticipated to begin later this year.
“Consolidating North American and European rights for SB1518 and
SB1578 represents a unique opportunity for S*BIO to steer the
global development of these two promising products,” said Dr.
Jan-Anders Karlsson, CEO of S*BIO. “Our strong relationship with
Onyx has led to the successful clinical advancement of both SB1518
and SB1578. SB1518 has now reached a critical inflection
point where its future success in a highly competitive field
depends on an aggressive and focused development plan. As an
existing shareholder, Onyx’s interests remain aligned with S*BIO’s
objective to maximize the value of the JAK2 program and to share in
the upside potential of SB1518 and other S*BIO assets.”
About S*BIO Pte LtdS*BIO is a privately-held biotech company
focused on the research and clinical development of novel targeted
small molecule drugs for the treatment of cancer with leading
programs around kinases and histone deacetylases (HDAC). SB1518,
S*BIO’s potent and orally-active JAK2 inhibitor, entered the clinic
in 2008
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