Neurotez licenses Leptin therapeutics to GCA Therapeutics for China

Privately-held US firm Neurotez has executed an exclusive license agreement covering its Leptin derivatives, for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other cognitive disorders, with GCA Therapeutics (GCAT).

The exclusive license grants GCAT the right to clinically develop and commercialize Leptin products in mainland China, exclusive of Hong Kong, and Taiwan. A version of Leptin has recently been approved in the USA for treating generalized lipodystrophy and in Japan for lipodystrophy.

Eligible for gross sales milestone of $102.5 million

Under the terms of the deal, GCAT will assume all development and regulatory responsibility and associated costs for Leptin products in China, and Neurotez will be eligible to receive gross sales milestones up to $102.5 million as well as royalties on gross sales. The exclusive license also has certain minimum annual sales thresholds following first commercial sales in mainland China.

"GCAT has a demonstrated track record of successfully developing therapeutics for the large China/Asian markets, and we are delighted to enter this license agreement with them for China," said Nikolaos Tezapsidis, president and chief executive of Neurotez, adding: "This license is the first of what we anticipate to be a series of agreements designed to allow our program to reach the large global market of patients with Alzheimer’s disease.”

Mark Tang, chairman of GCAT, commented: "We are very excited about the potential benefits of this product for Alzheimer’s disease patients, especially given the potential market size in China, where AD is becoming increasingly prevalent and remains an unmet medical need. We look forward to a productive and profitable collaboration between Neurotez and GCAT."