Novartis licenses Cytos' nicotine addiction vacc in deal worth up to 600M CHF

Zurich, Switzerland-based Cytos Biotechnology AG has entered into an exclusive global commercial license agreement with Novartis to develop, manufacture and commercialize CYT002-NicQb, a novel therapeutic vaccine in Phase II clinical development for the treatment of nicotine addiction. Under the terms of the deal, the Swiss drug major is granted worldwide exclusive rights to the Cytos vaccine candidate and is responsible for late-stage development, manufacturing and commercialization. In return, Cytos is eligible to receive 35.0 million Swiss francs ($28.9 million) and up to 600.0 million francs including milestones, in addition to royalties. The agreement is subject to customary regulatory approvals; further financial details were not disclosed.