ZIOPHARM Oncology & Solasia Pharma Announce Global License & Collaboration Agreement

ZIOPHARM Oncology & Solasia Pharma Announce Global License & Collaboration Agreement

ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. and Solasia Pharma K.K. recently announced an amendment and restatement of their license and collaboration agreement for darinaparsin (Zinapar or ZIO-101) and related organoarsenic molecules.

Under the terms of the amended and restated agreement, ZIOPHARM granted Solasia an exclusive worldwide license to develop and commercialize darinaparsin and related organoarsenic molecules in both intravenous and oral forms in all indications for human use. In exchange, ZIOPHARM will be eligible to receive from Solasia up to $72.2 million in development and sales-based milestones, a royalty on net sales of darinaparsin, once commercialized, and a percentage of any sublicense revenues generated by Solasia. Solasia will be responsible for all costs related to the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of darinaparsin. The new agreement amends and restates a 2011 agreement between the parties under which Solasia was granted exclusive rights by ZIOPHARM to darinaparsin in the territories of Japan, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Thailand.

Darinaparsin is a novel mitochondrial-targeted agent (organoarsenic) being developed for the treatment of various hematologic and solid cancers. It has been granted Orphan Drug Designation in the US and Europe as a treatment of peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL).

“As our strategic focus has shifted exclusively toward DNA therapeutics and immuno-oncology, Solasia, with whom ZIOPHARM has had a longstanding partnership, is the natural choice to advance the development of darinaparsin on a global basis,” said Jonathan Lewis, MD, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of ZIOPHARM. “Through a collaboration that began in 2011, Solasia has built a meaningful scientific and clinical understanding of darinaparsin, providing a strong foundation for realizing its long-term clinical value. Further, by expanding this agreement to all global territories, there exists now an additional strong incentive for Solasia to rapidly and strategically develop this potentially important product candidate in areas of unmet medical need in oncology.”

“Solasia stands to benefit greatly from the acquisition of exclusive global development and commercialization rights to darinaparsin from ZIOPHARM,” said Yoshihiro Arai, President and Representative Director of Solasia Pharma K.K. “Our initial Asian clinical studies with darinaparsin in the clinical setting of PTCL have been very exciting and encouraged us to expand our longstanding partnership with ZIOPHARM in order to maximize our opportunity with the darinaparsin program throughout the world. We presently plan to start pivotal clinical trials in Asia early in 2015.”

ZIOPHARM Oncology is a Boston, MA-based biotechnology company employing novel gene expression and control technology to deliver DNA for the treatment of cancer. ZIOPHARM’s technology platform employs Intrexon Corporation’s RheoSwitch Therapeutic System technology to turn on and off, and precisely modulate, gene expression at the cancer site in order to improve the therapeutic index. This technology is currently being evaluated in Phase II clinical studies of the immune system cytokine interleukin-12 for the treatment of breast cancer and advanced melanoma. The company’s synthetic immuno-oncology programs in collaboration with Intrexon also include chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) approaches. For more information, visit www.zoppharm.com.