CEL-SCI extends Orient's rights to Multikine
This article was originally published in Scrip
Executive Summary
CEL-SCI has extended its licensing deal with Taiwan's Orient Europharmafor the oncology product Multikine (mixed naturally derived cytokines). The deal gives Orient exclusive rights in South Korea, the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand, in addition to Taiwan, to Multikine for head and neck, nasopharyngeal and cervical cancer. Orient will register and sell the product in these markets and will split revenues with the US firm. It has also invested $500,000 in CEL-SCI as part of the tie-up and will help fund and carry out a global 800-patient Phase III trial in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma set to start next year. CEL-SCI is seeking first-line status for Multikine in this setting, for which the US FDA has granted orphan status as a neoadjuvant therapy. Teva holds certain rights to Multikine in Israel and Turkey.