Ropes & Gray Represents Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals in $662 Million Asia Pacific Region Collaboration with Huadong

Ropes & Gray advised Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, Ltd., in a strategic collaboration with Huadong Medicine Co. Ltd.’s wholly owned subsidiary Hangzhou Zhongmei Huadong Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., and mavrilimumab, in the Asia Pacific Region in a $662 million transaction. The deal announced on February 22 will bring Kiniksa’s therapeutics to Asia Pacific nation patients suffering from severe autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. 

Under the terms of the collaboration, Kiniksa will receive $22 million upfront and is eligible to receive up to approximately $640 million in specified development, regulatory and sales-based milestones. Kiniksa is also eligible to receive tiered royalties on annual net sales. Huadong Medicine will obtain exclusive rights and responsibility for the development and commercialization of ARCALYST and mavrilimumab in the Asia Pacific region including Greater China, South Korea, Australia, and 18 other countries, but excluding Japan. Kiniksa will otherwise retain all existing development and commercialization rights for both assets. 

The Ropes & Gray team was led by IP transactions partner Hannah England (Freeman) and included tax partners Brenda Coleman (London) and David Saltzman (Boston), life sciences regulatory & enforcement partner Katherine Wang (Shanghai), litigation & enforcement partner Andy Dale (Hong Kong), and litigation & enforcement counsel David Yiding Chen (Shanghai).