Japan's Chugai in Licensing Deal With US-based Xencor

Japanese drugmaker Chugai Pharmaceutical has entered into a development and marketing agreement with US-based biotech company Xencor. According to Chugai, the deal envisages using Xencor's antibody engineering technology, known as XmAb, to boost the effectiveness of antibody responses, which could decrease dosage requirements for conventional treatments. If successful, the process would reduce patient side effects and allow cheaper manufacturing. The company, a Japanese affiliate of Swiss drug producer Roche, is focused on renal and liver conditions including kidney failure and Hepatitis C.