Abigail E. Gregor

Licensing and Collaboration Matters

• Teva Pharmaceuticals International GmbH in a strategic global licensing agreement with mAbxience for a biosimilar candidate currently in development for the treatment of multiple oncology indications.
• Nona Biosciences:
  • in a license agreement with AstraZeneca, valued at up to $604 million, for preclinical monoclonal antibodies that will be used to develop targeted oncology therapies using Nona’s antibody discovery platform
  • in an exclusive license agreement with Pfizer (Seagen), valued at up to $1.58 billion, for the rights to Nona’s mesothelin-targeted antibody-drug candidate HBM9033.
• AbbVie in the negotiation of two collaboration and option agreements with Umoja Biopharma, under which AbbVie will obtain rights to certain products embodying Umoja’s gene delivery platform, which enables the in vitro production of anti-cancer CAR-T cells.
• Sanofi:
  • in an exclusive, worldwide license agreement with Maze Therapeutics for MZE001 for the treatment of Pompe Disease, with an upfront of $150M (cash and equity), up to approximately $600M in milestones, and meaningful royalties on sales.
  • in an exclusive worldwide collaboration with Skyhawk Therapeutics for up to more than $2 billion to discover and develop novel small molecules that modulate RNA splicing for challenging oncology and immunology disease targets with limited or no therapeutic options.
• Immunogen:
  • in a global multi-target license and option agreement with Vertex Pharmaceuticals to discover novel targeting conditioning agents for use with gene editing
  • in a global, multi-target license with Eli Lilly and Company for up to $1.7B to research, develop and commercialize ADCs to targets selected by Lilly based on ImmunoGen’s novel camptothecin drug technology.
  • in an exclusive collaboration with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited to develop and commercialize Immunogen's ADC therapy ELAHERE in Japan.
• Cullinan Oncology, Inc. in an exclusive license agreement with Harbour BioMed for development and commercial rights of HBM7008 (CLN-418) in the U.S.
• Ovid Therapeutics:
  • in a collaboration with Graviton Bioscience under which Ovid obtained exclusive rights to develop ROCK2 inhibitors, including GV101, for a range of rare neurological diseases outside of China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
  • in a strategic partnership with U.K.-based Healx, granting Healx the exclusive option to license rights to develop and commercialize gaboxadol.
• TRexBio in a research collaboration and exclusive worldwide license agreement with Eli Lilly for more than $1.1B to develop novel therapies for the treatment of immune-mediated diseases.
• Selecta Biosciences in an exclusive licensing and development agreement with Astellas Pharma for Xork, a potential next generation immunoglobulin G protease, that will be developed for use with Astellas’ AT845, an investigational, adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based treatment for Late-Onset Pompe disease (LOPD) in adults.
• Xeris Biopharma:
  • in an exclusive worldwide collaboration and license agreement with Beta Bionics for the development and commercialization of a glucagon product using Xeris’ XeriSol technology for use in Beta Bionics’ proprietary bi-hormonal pump and pump systems for people with diabetes.
  • in a platform research evaluation, collaboration and option agreement with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Under the terms of the agreement, Xeris will use its proprietary drug-formulation platform, XeriJect, to develop ultra-highly concentrated, ready-to-use, small volume subcutaneous injections of two undisclosed monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) developed by Regeneron.
  • in a research collaboration and option agreement with Horizon Therapeutics to develop an ultra-concentrated, ready-to-use, subcutaneous injection of Horizon’s teprotumumab.
• IDRx in licensing transactions with Germany-based Merck KGaA and Blueprint Medicines to secure rights to precision therapies to treat cancer in connection with $122 million Series A financing.
• EQRx in multiple discovery collaborations and license agreements to further EQRx’s mission of developing and delivering innovative medicines to patients at lower prices, including with Exscientia, AbCellera, Relay Therapeutics, Absci, Aurigene, Turning Point Therapeutics, Evotec, Abdul Latif Jameel Health and Insilico Medicine.
  
• Johnson & Johnson in connection with various licensing and collaboration agreements.
• Ironwood Pharmaceuticals in a collaboration and license option agreement with COUR Pharmaceutical Development Company to develop and commercialize COUR’s investigational therapy (CNP-104) to treat PBC, a rare autoimmune disease.
• G1 Therapeutics in multiple license agreements for the development and commercialization of lerociclib and trilaciclib, including with Pepper Bio, Genor Biopharma Co. Inc., EQRx, Inc. and Simcere.
• Vertex Pharmaceuticals in its collaboration with Affinia Therapeutics to develop genetic therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) and cystic fibrosis through the use of Affinia’s AAV capsid engineering platform.
• BlueRock Therapeutics in its collaboration and cross-license with Editas Medicine combining BlueRock’s engineered cell therapy technology with Editas’ genome editing technology to create new pluripotent stem cell lines, and to create cell medicines in the oncology field.
• Verastem Oncology:
  • in a discovery and development collaboration with GenFleet Therapeutics to advance three oncology discovery programs targeting RAS pathway-driven cancers.
  • in its regional exclusive out-licensing of Duvelisib to CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Limited (Greater China), Yakult Honsha Co. (Japan) and Sanofi (Africa, Middle East and Eurasia).
• Astellas Pharma in its license and collaboration agreement with Xencor, Inc. to generate bispecific antibody candidates against certain oncology targets, with Astellas having worldwide rights to develop and commercialize novel drug candidates resulting therefrom.
• Strata Oncology in its collaboration with Arcus Biosciences for Arcus’ anti-PD-1 antibody utilizing Strata’s precision drug development platform.
• The Broad Institute in its worldwide exclusive licensing agreement with Beam Therapeutics Inc. for certain gene editing intellectual property rights.
• CANbridge Life Sciences in its $144 million collaboration and license agreement with AVEO Oncology for worldwide rights to AV-203, AVEO’s clinical-stage ErbB3 (HER3) inhibitory antibody candidate, with exclusions.
• A large global pharmaceutical company in its global strategic collaboration with a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company to develop and commercialize a PI3K inhibitor for the treatment of patients with cancer.
• Zai Lab Limited:
  • in an exclusive license agreement with Five Prime Therapeutics for FPA144 Anti-FGFR2b antibody in Greater China.
  • in a collaboration and license agreement with Entasis Therapeutics Holdings to develop and commercialize Entasis’s proprietary compounds in mainland China and several other Asian countries, as well as Australia and New Zealand.
• Alexion Pharmaceuticals:
  • in its collaboration with Dicerna Pharmaceuticals to develop RNAi therapies for complement mediated diseases using Dicerna’s GAlXC platform.
  • in its collaboration and licensing agreement with Halozyme Therapeutics to use Halozyme’s ENHANZE drug delivery technology in the development of Alexion’s rare disease drug product portfolio.
  • in its strategic license agreement with Moderna Therapeutics for $100 million to purchase 10 product options to develop and commercialize treatments for rare diseases utilizing Moderna’s mRNA Therapeutics platform.
• Brii Biosciences:
  • in its collaboration with (and equity investment in) Artizan Biosciences to develop and commercialize novel anti-inflammatory therapeutic products in greater China using Artizan’s proprietary IgA-SEQ technology platform.
  • in its collaboration with Qpex Biopharma to develop and commercialize novel antibiotics in greater China.

Mergers and Acquisitions

• StrideBio in the sale of its AAV capsid discovery and engineering platform to Ginkgo Bioworks.
• Cullinan Oncology in a strategic collaboration with Taiho Pharmaceutical under which Taiho acquired Cullinan Oncology’s subsidiary Cullinan Pearl for $275 million, with the potential to receive up to an additional $130 million in regulatory-based milestone payments. 
• Life sciences counsel to Blackstone Life Sciences in its acquisition of Clarus, a leading global life sciences investment firm that recently closed its inaugural fund with $4.6 billion in capital commitments.
• Verastem Oncology in its sale of COPIKTRA^® (duvelisib) to Secura Bio, for $70 million up-front, with a total deal value of $311 million, plus double-digit royalties on net sales over $100 million in the U.S., Europe and the UK.
• Groupe Rocher with its acquisition of Arbonne International, a leader in direct selling of botanically based beauty, personal care and nutrition products.
• Pfizer in its transaction with Allogene Therapeutics for Pfizer's portfolio of assets related to allogeneic chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR T) therapy, an investigational immune cell therapy approach to treating cancer.
• Pfizer in its $130 million acquisition of two meningitis vaccines from GlaxoSmithKline.
• Becton, Dickinson and Company in a definitive agreement to sell its Surgical Instrumentation platform to STERIS for $540 million. 

Life Sciences Private Equity Transactions

• Blackstone Life Sciences in its collaboration with Moderna, Inc. where funds managed by Blackstone Life Sciences will provide up to $750 million to fund Moderna’s influenza (flu) program.
• Blackstone Life Sciences in its combination with gene editing drugmaker Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. and German cell manufacturer Cellex Cell Professionals GmbH to create a new CAR T-cell company to develop cell therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases.  
• Blackstone Life Sciences in its $2 billion, IP-intensive and strategic collaboration to support Alnylam’s advancement of innovative RNA interference (RNAi) medicines, including:
  • The purchase of 50% of Alnylam’s royalties and commercial milestones for inclisiran in exchange for $1 billion in committed payments; and
  • A Product Funding Agreement with up to $150 million paid by Blackstone Life Sciences for the development of Alnylam’s cardiometabolic programs vutrisiran and ALN-AGT.
• Bain Capital in its $125 Million non-dilutive financing with Cerevel Therapeutics to fund the Phase 3 development program for tavapadon in Parkinson’s disease, also known as the TEMPO trials.

Commercial Agreements

• Serves as outside counsel to a variety of companies, providing ongoing support for complex commercial agreements including Clinical and Commercial Supply Agreements, Manufacturing Agreements, Sponsored Research Agreements, Clinical Trial Agreements, Master Services Agreements, Material Transfer Agreements, etc.
  
  Representative clients include:
  • Solid Biosciences
  • Cartesian
  • TransMedics
  • Thermo Fisher Scientific