Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical (Fosun Pharma) announced that the companies, through their respective subsidiaries, have entered a strategic partnership.

Together, the companies will develop an investigational TEV-56278, an anti-PD1-IL2 ATTENUKINE therapy, as well as accelerate clinical data generation. Teva’s internally developed ATTENUKINE technology provides a new mechanism of action, potentially offering high efficacy and low toxicity in a broad array of oncology indications.

TEV-56278 is an anti-PD-1 antibody-cytokine fusion protein designed to selectively deliver an interleukin-2 (IL-2) to PD-1-expressing T cells within the tumor microenvironment. TEV-56278 is designed to deliver IL-2 selectively to PD-1+ T cells, thus amplifying anti-tumor T-cell activity while minimizing off-target systemic toxicities. 

This targeted approach aims to amplify anti-tumor T-cell activity while minimizing systemic toxicities. This approach holds promise for improving outcomes for patients with a variety of oncology diseases.

Per the agreement, Fosun Pharma is granted an exclusive license to develop, manufacture, and commercialize TEV-56278 in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), Macau SAR, and Taiwan region, and select Southeast Asian countries. Teva retains all development, manufacturing, and commercialization rights to the licensed molecule in the rest of the world.  

“This partnership with Fosun Pharma in the development of our internally developed TEV-56278, an anti-PD1-IL2 ATTENUKINE therapy with the potential to treat devastating cancers, is the latest advance to ensuring acceleration of our pipeline,” commented, Eric Hughes, MD, PhD, Executive Vice President, Teva Global R&D and Chief Medical Officer. “TEV-56278 demonstrates the strength of Teva’s innovative drug development capabilities and how strategic partnerships with companies such as Fosun Pharma play a pivotal role in advancing therapies on behalf of patients.”