Novartis Drops BeiGene PD-1 Asset Tevimbra As Drug Wins Esophageal Cancer Nod In Europe

The Swiss drug maker’s decision to give back rights to tislelizumab means BeiGene goes without the potentially $1.55bn in milestone payments the companies had agreed to in early 2021.

BeiGene took back full rights for its PD-1 inhibitor, Tevimbra • Source: Shutterstock

Novartis AG has decided to jettison a second immuno-oncology agent from its partnership with BeiGene, Ltd., though BeiGene itself is taking its PD-1 inhibitor tislelizumab forward in a variety of indications and just won approval from the European Commission for esophageal cancer, which the US Food and Drug Administration is currently considering.

BeiGene said 19 September that it had gained full rights from Novartis to the PD-1 inhibitor Tevimbra (tislelizumab) – including...

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