Biocon to market Advaxis' cancer drug in India and EMs

Biocon Ltd has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with the US-based Advaxis Inc for co-development and commercialisation of ADXS-HPV, a novel cancer immunotherapy for the treatment of human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cervical cancer in women, for India and key emerging markets (EMs). As per the agreement, Biocon will also have access to Advaxis' innovative and proprietary immunotherapy technology that can be leveraged for the development of other novel therapeutics for various unmet medical needs.
 
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairperson and Managing Director, Biocon, said, “Biocon is committed to finding solutions for women's health issues. This partnership will enable us to develop ADXS-HPV a novel immunotherapy to combat cervical cancer in women. It is a promising technology that has the ability to suppress the tumor inside the micro-environment, and can be leveraged for developing several other novel therapeutics to address various unmet medical needs of patients in India and other emerging markets.”
 
“We are excited to partner with Biocon, one of the world's leading biotechnology companies and the largest biotechnology company in India to bring our innovative cancer immunotherapy for cervical cancer to women with few alternatives. This agreement gives us reach into key markets where the number of patients with HPV-associated cancers is overwhelming,” commented Daniel J O’Connor, Chief Executive Officer, Advaxis.