Dr Reddy’s arm signs exclusive licensing deal with Immutep for novel cancer therapy

Dr Reddy’s Laboratories SA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd, has entered into a strategic collaboration and exclusive licensing agreement with Immutep SAS to develop and commercialise

Eftilagimod Alfa (efti) across multiple global markets, the company disclosed on Monday.

The deal gives Dr Reddy’s exclusive rights to efti in all countries outside North America, Europe, Japan and Greater China. Immutep, meanwhile, will receive an upfront payment of $20 million and is eligible for regulatory and commercial milestone payments of up to $349.5 million, in addition to double-digit royalties on sales.

Efti, Immutep’s lead immunotherapy candidate, is currently being evaluated in a Phase III trial for first-line treatment of advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, and is also under investigation in indications including head and neck cancer, breast cancer and soft tissue sarcoma.

M.V. Ramana, CEO – Branded Markets (India & Emerging Markets) at Dr Reddy’s, said the collaboration reflects the company’s commitment to advancing innovative cancer therapies. “Efti is a novel immunotherapy with the potential to set a new standard of care… We look forward to leveraging our expertise and strong market access to advance its development and commercialisation,” he said.

Marc Voigt, CEO of Immutep, said the agreement marks a “significant milestone” and validates the potential of efti, adding that Dr Reddy’s reach makes it “an ideal partner to maximise the impact of our innovation”.

Immutep will retain global manufacturing rights for the therapy and will supply the product to Dr Reddy’s in licensed markets. The company continues to hold rights in the US, Europe and Japan.

As of 2:18 pm, shares of Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd were trading at ₹1,266.50 on the NSE, down 0.68%.