AC Immune and Takeda entered into an exclusive, worldwide option and license agreement for AC Immune’s active immunotherapies targeting toxic forms of amyloid beta, including ACI-24.060 for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. AC Immune will receive upfront payment of $100 million upon closing and is eligible for an option exercise fee and additional potential milestones of up to approximately $2.1 billion.
ACI-24.060 is an immunotherapy candidate designed to induce a robust antibody response against the toxic forms of Amyloid Beta (Abeta) believed to drive plaque formation and Alzheimer’s disease progression. By inducing plaque clearance and efficiently inhibiting plaque formation in the brain, ACI-24.060 has the potential to delay or slow Alzheimer’s disease progression. ACI-24.060 is being investigated in the ongoing ABATE randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 1b/2 trial to assess the safety, tolerability, immunogenicity and pharmacodynamic effects of the investigational immunotherapy in subjects with prodromal Alzheimer’s disease and in adults with Down syndrome.
AC Immune will be responsible for completing the ABATE trial. Following option exercise, Takeda would conduct and fund all further clinical development and be responsible for all global regulatory activities as well as worldwide commercialization.
Under the terms of the agreement, AC Immune will receive an upfront payment of $100 million and be eligible to receive an option exercise fee and additional potential development, commercial and sales-based milestones of up to approximately $2.1 billion if all related milestones are achieved over the course of the agreement. Upon commercialization, AC Immune will be entitled to receive tiered double-digit royalties on worldwide net sales.
Andrea Pfeifer, CEO of AC Immune said: “This agreement allows us to leverage the developmental expertise, strategic vision and financial capacity of an accomplished organization that has demonstrated its ability to execute the type of comprehensive global program required for Phase 3 trials in Alzheimer’s disease while allowing us to focus on completing Phase 1b/2 development and accelerating our efforts to replicate this success with enhanced funding for our early-stage pipeline.”
(Press release / SK)
The new Swiss Venture Capital Report was published on 26 January. It analyses 304 financing rounds closed in 2020 and includes further article such as an interview with Michael Hengartner, President of the ETH Board, and a list of Swiss "soonicorns". 
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