BioLineRx, CTTQ To Commercialize Hepatitis C Drug, BL-8030, In China

BioLineRx has signed an out-licensing agreement with Jiangsu Chia-tai Tianqing Pharma to commercialize BL-8030 in China.

AsianScientist (Jun. 17, 2013) – BioLineRx has signed an out-licensing agreement with Chinese pharmaceutical manufacturer, Jiangsu Chia-tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (CTTQ), for the development and commercialization of BL-8030, an orally available treatment for the Hepatitis C virus (HCV).

Under the terms of the agreement, BioLineRx will grant CTTQ exclusive rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize BL-8030 in China and Hong Kong. CTTQ will pay BioLineRx an upfront license fee, plus future development, regulatory and commercialization milestones, for a total potential deal value of approximately US$30 million.

In addition, BioLineRx has the right to receive high single-digit royalties on future sales of the drug. BioLineRx will retain the right to develop and commercialize BL-8030 in other parts of the world.

“We look forward to developing and commercializing BL-8030 with CTTQ, the leading pharmaceutical company in China in the field of liver diseases,” said Kinneret Savitsky, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of BioLineRx.

BL-8030, an orally available treatment for Hepatitis C, is a potent and selective second generation NS3 protease inhibitor. The NS3 protease is essential for replication of the Hepatitis C virus and is an important target for HCV therapies.

According to BioLineRx, BL-8030 has been shown to have excellent antiviral activity, in the low nanomolar range, against a wide range of HCV genotypes, while pre-clinical studies have demonstrated an improved resistance profile against common protease inhibitor mutants, resulting in a lower probability that the virus will develop resistance to treatment.

Hepatitis C is a blood borne infection of the liver caused by the Hepatitis C virus which becomes chronic in about 85 percent of cases. According to the World Health Organization, up to 170 million people worldwide are chronically infected with HCV. In addition, HCV infection is the leading cause of liver transplantation and is a risk factor for liver cancer.

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Source: BioLineRx.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.

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