BRIEF—Amplyx in-licenses Ph II candidate from Novartis

US biotech firm Amplyx Pharmaceuticals has executed an exclusive worldwide license agreement with Swiss pharma giant Novartis under which Amplyx has acquired the rights to the Phase II anti-BK virus (BKV) monoclonal antibody, MAU868, for the treatment and prevention of BKV disease.

Financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

“MAU868 builds on Amplyx' significant experience from the fosmanogepix (APX001) program, currently in development for the treatment of life threatening invasive fungal infections, and expands the company pipeline of novel treatments for debilitating and life-threatening diseases in patients with compromised immune systems," said Ciara Kennedy, president and chief executive of Amplyx.

"We anticipate starting Phase II trials in the near future and, longer term, seeking approval for MAU868 as the first antiviral drug for BKV disease," Dr Kennedy added.