J&J Drops $1.6 Billion Deal With Argenx for AML Drug

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has decided to call it quits on its global collaboration and licensing agreement with Argenx, an arrangement for a blood cancer drug hashed out in late 2018 that was worth up to $1.6 billion.

J&J subsidiary Cilag said that it has decided not to continue its work with Argenx on cusatuzumab, an investigational, CD70-targeting therapeutic antibody that was being evaluated by the pair as an acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treatment.

The decision was made based on a review of “all available cusatuzumab data and in consideration of the evolving standard of care for the treatment of AML,” Cilag said.

But Argenx said it believes that data from the drug’s phase 1b trial support continued development of the drug as an AML treatment.