Novartis signed an option-and-license agreement with South Korea’s Alteogen to develop subcutaneous versions of multiple Novartis products using Alteogen’s Hybrozyme platform and its ALT-B4 enzyme.
The agreement is potentially worth up to $3.223 billion to Alteogen if Novartis exercises all options and all development and commercial milestones are met; it also includes royalties on net sales of commercialized products.
ALT-B4, also called berahyaluronidase alfa, temporarily breaks down hyaluronan in tissue to help biologic medicines disperse and absorb after an under-the-skin injection. The objective is to replace or complement slower intravenous infusions with more convenient, faster administration.
Novartis has multiple options for exclusive rights, but neither company publicly identified the specific Novartis medicines covered.
The deal underscores a wider industry push toward subcutaneous delivery for biologics. Alteogen’s technology is already used in a subcutaneous version of Merck’s Keytruda, and the Novartis agreement was described as Alteogen’s fourth licensing deal of the year.
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