AC Immune Secures CHF10M Upfront Payment from Lilly, Advances Tau Program to IND-Enabling Studies
Summary
AC Immune (ACIU) announced a significant amendment to its Morphomer Tau license and collaboration agreement with Eli Lilly and Company (LLY). The revised agreement includes an upfront payment of CHF10 million to AC Immune, a material sum for a company of its size, along with a subsequent milestone payment upon Phase 1 dosing. This amendment validates AC Immune's Morphomer Tau platform and provides substantial non-dilutive funding. The collaboration will continue to develop new lead Tau Morphomer candidates, with Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling studies expected to commence in the first half of 2026. This progression to IND-enabling studies, coupled with the potential for over CHF1.7 billion in future development, regulatory, and commercial milestones plus low double-digit royalties, significantly de-risks the program and enhances AC Immune's financial outlook. Investors will now watch for the initiation of these studies and subsequent clinical trial advancements.
At the time of this announcement, ACIU was trading at $2.85 on NASDAQ in the Life Sciences sector, with a market capitalization of approximately $274.8M. The 52-week trading range was $1.43 to $4.00. This news item was assessed with positive market sentiment and an importance score of 8 out of 10. Source: Dow Jones Newswires.