Global biotech leader CSL (ASX:CSL) has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with US pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Company, granting Lilly rights to develop and commercialise the monoclonal antibody clazakizumab for new therapeutic areas.
Under the terms of the deal, CSL will receive an upfront payment of $100 million and remains eligible for substantial clinical, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments, alongside tiered royalties on future global sales.
The partnership strategically divides the development of the anti-interleukin-6 therapy.
CSL will retain exclusive rights to clazakizumab for its primary indication: the prevention of major cardiovascular events in patients with end-stage kidney disease.
CSL is currently advancing this application through the Phase 3 POSIBIL6 trial, which targets high-risk dialysis patients suffering from systemic inflammation.
Lilly, meanwhile, will lead the global exploration of clazakizumab for additional indications, leveraging its extensive cardiometabolic and immunological expertise.
Clazakizumab, which CSL acquired from Vitaeris in 2020, works by blocking the IL-6 cytokine, a known driver of the inflammatory cascade in chronic diseases.
The deal provides CSL with immediate non-dilutive capital while expanding the drug's potential reach into secondary markets through Lilly’s global infrastructure.