India's Lupin inks deal with NeuClone to develop oncology biosimilars

Indian drugmaker Lupin (LPON: BO) has entered a strategic licensing agreement with Sydney, Australia- based private specialty life science company NeuClone for the latter’s cell line technology to be developed into biosimilar drugs targeting cancer.

Under the terms of the deal, financial terms of which were not disclosed, NeuClone will provide an exclusive proprietary mammalian CHO cell line which will express a specific recombinant protein of interest in oncology to its partner. The accord will also entail the Lupin Biological Research Program scientific research staff working with NeuClone

Commenting on the agreement Cyrus Karkaria, president of Lupin and dead of the Lupin Biological Research Program, said: “The multi-billion dollar opportunity with blockbuster biologics going off patent in the next five to eight years is something that Lupin is pursuing aggressively. This exclusive licensing arrangement with NeuClone is a part of that strategy and would enable us to capitalize on cutting-edge technology to address the biologicals market. This agreement and such similar agreements, coupled with our own pipeline will go a long way in helping us address the impending opportunity and develop a substantial differentiated biological pipeline.”