Brii Biosciences Announces Agreement to Acquire VBI’s IP Rights in BRII-179 (VBI-2601) and Plans to Initiate Technology Transfer to Expand Clinical and Commercial Supplies
Brii Biosciences enters agreements with VBI Vaccines for control and expansion of future clinical and commercial supplies.
Brii Biosciences Limited (“Brii Bio,” “we,” or the “Company”, stock code: 2137.HK), a biotechnology company developing therapies to improve patient health and choice across diseases with high unmet needs, today announced that it has entered into agreements with VBI Vaccines, Inc. (“VBI”, NASDAQ: VBIV), ensuring expansion and control of future clinical and commercial supplies of BRII-179, a late-stage clinical asset in Brii Bio’s HBV functional cure portfolio.
Under these agreements, Brii Bio will issue a $2.5 million promissory note to VBI initially. This will eliminate royalty and milestone payments for PreHevbri. Upon meeting specific conditions, the note will increase to $10 million, securing all of VBI’s intellectual properties (IP) for BRII-179, with associated payments also eliminated. In addition, subject to certain approvals, Brii Bio and VBI will work together to transfer the manufacturing technologies of BRII-179 to a site designated by Brii Bio. Upon completion of essential activities relating to such technology transfer, subject to certain potential adjustments, Brii Bio will issue up to an additional $8 million promissory note to VBI. After satisfaction of certain conditions, Brii Bio will also take control of VBI’s Rehovot-based manufacturing facilities for BRII-179 and PreHevbrio/PreHevbri for $10 million cash on or after June 30, 2024, when Brii Bio and VBI plan to enter into supply agreement under which Brii Bio will become VBI’s commercial supplier for PreHevbrio and PreHevbri.
Separately, subject to achievement of certain conditions by VBI, Brii Bio will secure an exclusive license to develop and commercialize VBI-1901, VBI’s glioblastoma (GBM) immunotherapeutic candidate, in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region excluding Japan and issue a $5 million promissory note to VBI. VBI-1901 has received fast-track and orphan drug designations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and a Phase 2b study is ongoing.
“We are grateful to our VBI colleagues at the Rehovot site who despite significant challenges continued to provide uninterrupted supplies of BRII-179,” said Dr. Zhi Hong, Ph.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Brii Bio. “As Brii transitions to late-stage development of HBV programs, a global manufacturing strategy becomes critically important. We look forward to working together with the biologics manufacturing experts at the Rehovot site and timely integration of our R&D and manufacturing capabilities.”
