China's Huaota Biopharm has entered into a global research collaboration and licensing agreement with Almirall, a Spain-based global pharmaceutical company focused on medical dermatology. The deal covers an early-stage monoclonal antibody (mAb) candidate targeting a novel mechanism for potential applications in skin diseases. Under the agreement, Huaota retains the rights to develop and commercialise the candidate in China, while Almirall obtains exclusive global rights outside of China.

Almirall will pay Huaota a total of USD 340 million in upfront, development and commercial milestone payments, plus tiered royalties. Huaota will conduct research through to proof-of-concept. The partnership leverages Huaota's antibody discovery platform and Almirall's global dermatology development and commercialisation expertise. Huaota has a pipeline of 12 clinical-stage assets, including a first-in-class IL-36R antibody under regulatory review in China.

According to PharmCube's NextBiopharm® database, Almirall is one of the most active licensees of Chinese dermatology assets. Click here to request a free trial for NextBiopharm®.