Insmed buys worldwide rights to AstraZeneca's oral DPP1 inhibitor

US rare diseases-focussed biopharma firm Insmed (Nasdaq: INSM) has signed a licensing agreement with AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN) for global exclusive rights to AZD7986, a novel oral inhibitor of dipeptidyl peptidase I (DPP1, also known as cathepsin C).

The licensing deal with Insmed comes just days after AstraZeneca sold the rights to MEDI2070, an IL-23 monoclonal antibody currently in a Phase IIb clinical trial for moderate-to-severe Crohn’s disease, to Allergan for a potential $1.52 billion, as well as a number of other divestments of products outside AstraZeneca’s main therapy areas of respiratory, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and oncology. The Anglo-Swedish pharma major also this month sold rights to its beta-blocker Toprol XR to Aralez, and in August, sold the commercialization and development rights to its late-stage small molecule antibiotics business in most markets globally outside the USA to Pfizer for up to $1.5 billion.

Deal worth up to $150 million to AstraZeneca