Ji Xing Pharmaceuticals Announced Acquisition of BIIB131 From Biogen

Ji Xing Pharmaceuticals a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to bringing innovative medicines to underserved patients with serious and life-threatening diseases, have announced the acquisition of BIIB131 from Biogen, for global clinical development.

BIIB131 is an investigational drug for acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Its proposed mechanism of action includes both thrombolytic and anti-inflammatory activities. By restoring critical blood flow following acute stroke, it may benefit more patients over current standard of care by extending the otherwise short treatment window.

In the prior Phase 2 clinical trial conducted in Japan, patients treated with BIIB 131 had significantly improved clinical outcomes (proportion of patients with no or minimal neurological deficits) at 90 days, compared to placebo. This was further supported by safety and angiographic findings.

"Stroke is a serious threat to global health. BIIB 131 represents a potential breakthrough for a critical condition (AIS) that has not seen any meaningful pharmacologic innovation for almost 30 years. We hope to prove that BIIB 131 will significantly improve clinical outcomes for AIS patients around the world”, said Sandy Mou, Board Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of JIXING. “This acquisition will not only enrich JIXING’s pipeline, but also accelerate the execution of our globalisation strategy.”

“We believe that BIIB131 has the potential to change the way we treat acute strokes,” said Roderick Wong, MD, Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer of RTW Investments, LP. “We would like to thank Biogen and TMS for their ongoing partnership and for their efforts to bring this asset to where it is today.”  

Under the terms of the agreement, JIXING will acquire the program for an undisclosed upfront with potential milestones and royalties on global sales.