ASLAN Pharmaceuticals, a specialty pharmaceutical company developing novel medicines for global markets, with offices in Singapore and Taiwan, has announced a global license agreement to develop CSL anti-IL13 receptor monoclonal antibody, CSL334, currently in preclinical development for the treatment of asthma. CSL Limited is a global biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Melbourne, Australia that develops, manufactures and markets biotherapies to prevent and treat serious human diseases.

ASLAN will fund and develop CSL334 through to clinical proof-of-concept in a development program conducted primarily in Asia, targeting patients suffering moderate persistent to severe allergic asthma whose disease is not adequately controlled by existing treatments. Upon achievement of clinical proof-of-concept, ASLAN will identify a global partner for phase III development and commercialization.

“Many patients with moderate and severe asthma still do not have their disease adequately controlled by current therapies, and these patients represent around half of the total burden of asthma worldwide,” said Mark McHale, ASLAN’s chief operating officer. “Some major companies now are pursuing strategies to help these patients, many of whom live in fear of their next serious exacerbation.”

“The IL-13 receptor signaling pathway plays a critical role in allergic airway disease, and CSL has had an interest in inhibiting this target since it was first identified at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Australia. This led CSL scientists to discover and optimize the monoclonal antibody inhibitor known as CSL334,” said Andrew Nash, CSL’s

senior vice president, Research. “ASLAN’s focus on efficiently designing and executing innovative clinical strategies, combined with its teams experience in asthma drug development, make it the ideal partner for moving this therapy forwards.”

CSL will be entitled to share returns generated by ASLAN from partnering the project. Financial details have not been disclosed.