Astellas licenses Velocimmune technology for discovering human monoclonal antibodies

Published: 3-Apr-2007
Sustainability Research & Development

Japanese company Astellas Pharma and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, of the US, have entered into a non-exclusive license agreement that will allow Astellas to utilise Regeneron\'s VelocImmune technology in its internal research programmes to discover human monoclonal antibody product candidates.


Japanese company Astellas Pharma and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, of the US, have entered into a non-exclusive license agreement that will allow Astellas to utilise Regeneron's VelocImmune technology in its internal research programmes to discover human monoclonal antibody product candidates.

Astellas will pay US$20m upfront and will make up to five additional annual payments of $20m, subject to the ability to terminate the agreement after making the first three additional payments. Upon commercialisation of any antibody products discovered using VelocImmune, Astellas will pay a royalty on product sales.

'VelocImmune is the centerpiece of Regeneron's suite of technologies for the discovery and development of fully human monoclonal antibodies,' said Dr George D. Yancopoulos, president of Regeneron Research Laboratories and Regeneron's cso. 'We are pleased that Astellas has selected the VelocImmune platform for its internal development programmes.'

See more

You may also like

Research & Development

Astellas Pharma doses first patient in Phase III trial for Fezolinetant

Read more
Fezolinetant aims to mitigate the impact of hot flushes, which are the most common side effect associated with endocrine therapy for breast cancer

Trending Articles

  1. Suncombe and Kindeva collaborate to deliver low-carbon inhalers to the NHS The partnership will develop next-generation pressurised metered-dose inhalers with low Global Warming Potential propellants, helping the NHS move closer to its Net Zero target
  2. Douglas Pharmaceuticals sets new benchmark for capsule quality with CI Precision Partnership delivers compliance confidence, efficiency gains and reduced waste
  3. Servier acquires potential treatment for Fragile X syndrome KER-0193, a novel, orally bioavailable small molecule, was granted orphan drug and rare paediatric drug designation by the US FDA
  4. NICE recommends enfortumab vedotin with KEYTRUDA for adults in England/Wales with untreated metastatic urothelial cancer The results from the Phase III study EV-302/KN-A39 showed nearly a doubling of survival rates in patients compared with those who received platinum-based chemotherapy, which is the current standard of care in the UK
  5. Ecolab and SCG sign MOU to enhance business competitiveness and drive ESG progress This 5-year MOU underscores how collaboration can turn sustainability commitments into measurable outcomes, accelerating the journey toward Net Zero while strengthening cross-industry competitiveness

Upcoming event

Enhancing probiotic stability through smarter formulation and packaging strategies

18 September 2025 | Virtual See all

You may also like

Research & Development

Astellas Pharma doses first patient in Phase III trial for Fezolinetant

Fezolinetant aims to mitigate the impact of hot flushes, which are the most common side effect associated with endocrine therapy for breast cancer
Regulatory

Ubiquigent enters agreement with Astellas subsidiary, Nanna Therapeutics

Agreement leverages Ubiquigent’s DUB-focused drug discovery platform to support the development of novel therapeutic candidates for multiple disease targets selected by Nanna Therapeutics
Ingredients

Therapeutic: zolbetuximab for gastric cancer

Stomach cancer is the fifth most commonly diagnosed form of cancer, with risk factors including age, smoking, H. pylori infection and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease
Research & Development

Astellas invests $13m in cell and gene therapy innovation incubators

Japanese Astellas’ nearly $13m will make it a Founding Sponsor of LabCentral's new incubator with a core lab space for process development studies and a non-GMP pilot plant
Research & Development

Astellas and Anokion to collaborate on immune tolerance therapeutics

The creation of a new company, Kanyos, will enable the preclinical development of products for type 1 diabetes and coeliac disease
Research & Development

Astellas and Potenza link up to build a portfolio of immuno-oncology therapeutics

Astellas takes an option to buy Potenza at the end of the collaboration period
You need to be a subscriber to read this article.
Click here to find out more.
Research & Development

Syntheses that cut costs and boost yields

Reworking drug syntheses using cheaper or more environmentally friendly ingredients and catalysts can increase margins dramatically. Dr Sarah Houlton reports on recent successes
Subscribe now