UPDATE: XOMA Announces Development and Commercialization Agreement

XOMA Corporation

, a leader in the discovery and development of therapeutic antibodies, announced today it has exclusively licensed the global development and commercialization rights to its anti-transforming growth factor-beta (TGFb) antibody program to Novartis. Under the terms of the agreement, XOMA will receive $37.0 million in the form of an upfront payment and is eligible to receive up to $480.0 million if all development, regulatory, and commercial milestones are met. In addition, XOMA is eligible to receive royalties on product sales that range from the mid-single digits to the low double digits. In connection with this license agreement, Novartis has agreed to extend the maturity date on the approximately $13.5 million of outstanding debt under the secured note agreement, which bears interest at the six-month LIBOR plus 2% (currently 2.53%), to September 30, 2020. XOMA has also agreed to reduce the royalty rate to XOMA associated with Novartis' clinical stage anti-CD40 antibodies. "XOMA and Novartis have worked closely together for several years to develop new product candidates. When they expressed interest in our anti-TGFb program, we knew Novartis was the best company to bring this exciting potential therapy to the patients whom it may help," stated John Varian, Chief Executive Officer of XOMA. "Novartis is recognized as a leader in oncology, where an anti-TGFb molecule has real potential either as monotherapy or in combination with other therapeutic options. "We had said we did not plan to raise equity capital at our recent stock price in order to fund the development of our very exciting endocrine portfolio. With this non-dilutive liquidity of essentially $50.5 million, we currently project this capital, in combination with our planned cost savings measures, will fund operations into 2017. We remain on track to begin our XOMA 358 Phase 2 clinical program this fall and fully anticipate we will have the data from these studies during that timeframe," concluded Mr. Varian.