Cantargia Licenses CAN10 IL1RAP Immunology Program to Otsuka Pharmaceutical

Analysis reveals significant industry trends and economic implications

Release Date

2025-07-15

Category

Merger / Acquisition Event

Reference

Source

Breakthrough Clinical Results

Cantargia AB has announced an agreement with Otsuka Pharmaceutical for the acquisition of Cantargia's CAN10 program. Otsuka will acquire all assets related to the early-clinical stage CAN10 program, an antibody targeting IL1RAP designed to inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokines. Cantargia will receive a $33 million upfront payment and is eligible for up to $580 million in milestone payments plus royalties. Otsuka will be responsible for global development and commercialization of CAN10, including regulatory approvals and manufacturing. The transaction is expected to close in Q3 2025.

Key Highlights

  • Otsuka Pharmaceutical acquires Cantargia's CAN10 program for $33 million upfront and up to $580 million in milestones.
  • CAN10, an anti-IL1RAP antibody, targets pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1, IL-33, and IL-36.
  • Otsuka will handle global development, regulatory approvals, manufacturing, and commercialization of CAN10.
  • Transaction expected to close in the third quarter of 2025.

Incidence and Prevalence

Global Prevalence and Epidemiology of Autoimmune/Inflammatory Diseases

Global Prevalence Trends

The prevalence of autoimmune diseases has been increasing globally, with recent estimates showing higher numbers than previously reported. Autoimmune diseases are now considered the third largest category of illness in the industrialized world, following cardiovascular diseases and cancers.

Current data indicates that approximately 5% of the world-wide population is affected by autoimmune diseases. However, more recent analyses suggest even higher rates. A 2010 analysis estimated the collective prevalence of autoimmune diseases in the United States alone to be between 5 and 8%, and noted that it was increasing. Another study from the same year, which corrected for underascertainment in hospitalization registry data, estimated the prevalence of 29 autoimmune diseases to be 7.6-9.4%, depending on the correction factor used.

A comprehensive Danish study from 2010 analyzed records of 5,506,574 persons and found that nearly 4% of the population had one or more autoimmune disease, concluding that autoimmune diseases as an aggregate are common. This study estimated the lifetime prevalence of 30 autoimmune diseases, with prevalences varying from 0.06/1,000 for Pemphigus to 8.94/1,000 for Type 1 diabetes.

Gender Disparities

A striking gender disparity exists in autoimmune disease prevalence, with nearly 80% of all people with autoimmune diseases being women. At least 75% of autoimmune diseases occur in women, most frequently during the child-bearing years. This gender difference is also evident in specific antibody prevalence; for example, a 2024 study found that 1.7% of a Chinese health screening population were positive for anti-SSA antibodies, with a prevalence of 0.9% in men and 2.7% in women.

Disease-Specific Data

More than seventy autoimmune diseases have been described, some systemic and others organ-specific. For specific conditions:

Comorbidities and Polyautoimmunity

Data support a tendency for autoimmune diseases to co-occur at greater than expected rates within patients and their families. The prevalence of polyautoimmunity in patients with specific autoimmune diseases varies: - Systemic lupus erythematosus: 41 percent - Sjögren's syndrome: 32.6 percent - Rheumatoid arthritis: 14 percent - Multiple sclerosis: 1-16.6 percent

Some specific comorbidity patterns have been identified: - Autoimmune thyroiditis was found to be the most frequent comorbidity (15%) in children with chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura - In patients with chronic atrophic autoimmune gastritis, approximately 60.9% had autoimmune thyroiditis as a comorbidity - Both atopic dermatitis and psoriasis are frequently comorbid with cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome and autoimmune diseases

Interestingly, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis is one disease pair that appears to have a decreased chance of coexistence.

Molecular Mechanisms

A strong association of these diseases with MHC genes has been known for some time. Additionally, interleukin-7 (IL-7) is involved in several autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, type I diabetes, multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Research has also shown that autoimmune disease severity and dysbiosis are interconnected.

Autoimmune diseases remain difficult to treat, impose a high burden on patients, and have a significant economic impact, necessitating the development of new therapies.

Emerging Mechanism of Action

Interleukin (IL)-23 Inhibition: IL-23 is a cytokine implicated in several autoimmune diseases. Therapies targeting IL-23, either by blocking its binding to its receptor or inhibiting downstream signaling, have shown promise.

Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF-α) Inhibition: TNF-α plays a crucial role in autoimmune disease pathology. TNF-α inhibitors have demonstrated efficacy in various autoimmune diseases, and novel inhibitors are under clinical evaluation.

Janus Kinase (JAK) Inhibition: JAKs are intracellular kinases involved in cytokine signaling. JAK inhibitors, particularly TYK2 inhibitors, have shown clinical effectiveness in autoimmune diseases, offering a more targeted approach compared to nonselective JAK inhibitors.

Interleukin 35 (IL-35) Targeting: IL-35, a member of the IL-12 cytokine family, is being explored as a potential target for new therapies. It regulates immune cell differentiation and function, and its abnormal expression is linked to various autoimmune diseases.

B Cell Depletion Therapy: B cells contribute to autoimmune etiology. B cell depletion therapies, such as those targeting CD20, CD19, and BAFF, are used to treat autoimmune diseases by eliminating autoreactive B cell clones.

Regulatory T Cell (Treg) Modulation: Tregs play a crucial role in maintaining immune homeostasis and self-tolerance. Therapies focusing on promoting, activating, or delivering Tregs are being developed to restore immune tolerance and control autoimmune diseases.

Bispecific Antibodies (bsAbs): bsAbs, with binding specificity for two different target molecules, are being developed for autoimmune diseases. They target T or B cell depletion, inhibition of T cell activity, or neutralization of proinflammatory cytokines.

Targeting the IL-23/Th17 Axis: The IL-23/Th17 axis is central to the pathogenesis of several autoimmune diseases, particularly psoriasis. Therapies targeting IL-17, IL-17R, IL-12/23p40, and IL-23p19 are being developed.

Interference with Cellular Adhesion: Strategies to interfere with cellular adhesion processes involved in lymphocyte recruitment are being explored, including integrin blockade and sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor inhibition.

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy (MSCT): MSCs possess immunomodulatory effects and are being investigated as a novel modality for treating autoimmune diseases. MSC-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) are also being explored as an alternative therapy.

Targeting Co-stimulatory Molecules: Targeting co-stimulatory molecules expressed on antigen-presenting cells and T cells has therapeutic potential in autoimmune diseases by modulating T cell function.

Emerging Therapies for Immune Tolerance: Emerging therapies aim to induce immune tolerance without compromising immune function, using advanced molecular engineering techniques such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells.

CAN10 Clinical Trials for Non-Autoimmune Indications

Based on a thorough review of the available information, there is no data regarding CAN10 clinical trials for indications beyond autoimmune/inflammatory diseases. The information needed to address questions about additional therapeutic indications, intervention methodologies, dosing regimens, and administration protocols for CAN10 in non-autoimmune conditions is not available in the current dataset.

Without specific information on CAN10's clinical development program outside of autoimmune and inflammatory disorders, it is not possible to provide details on any potential applications in orphan diseases, metabolic conditions, or neurological indications.

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