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Before I turn the call over to Jeff, I would like to note that all of the information discussed on the call today is covered under the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. I caution listeners that during this call Management will be making forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied by forward-looking statements due to risks and uncertainties associated with the Company’s business. These forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained in Cidara’s SEC filings, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K.
I would also like to point out that the content of this conference call contains time-sensitive information that is accurate only as of the date of this live broadcast, April 5, 2021. Cidara undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this conference call.
I will now turn the call over to Jeff Stein, President and CEO of Cidara.
Jeff Stein
Good morning everyone, and thank you for joining our call.
We are very excited to announce today that we have entered into an exclusive worldwide license and collaboration agreement with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a part of Johnson & Johnson, to develop and commercialize Cidara’s Cloudbreak Antiviral Conjugates, or AVCs, for the prevention and treatment of seasonal and pandemic influenza.
Our Cloudbreak antiviral platform represents a potentially transformational approach to prevent and treat viral infections, from which we are creating a new generation of immunotherapeutic antiviral conjugates for influenza, RSV, HIV, SARS-CoV2 and other viruses. AVCs are a novel class of drugs that couple potent antivirals to a human antibody fragment, or Fc. These long-acting AVCs directly inhibit viral replication while simultaneously engaging the immune system, and may offer significant advantages over vaccines and monoclonal antibodies. Our Influenza AVCs, such as CD388, are designed for rapid onset and have the potential to deliver potent universal flu protection for an entire flu season with a single dose.
Under the terms of the agreement with Janssen, Cidara will be responsible for the development and key aspects of manufacturing of our lead influenza AVC, CD388, into the clinic and through the first Phase 2 clinical trial, and Janssen will be responsible for and will fund late-stage development, manufacturing, registration, and worldwide commercialization. Janssen will reimburse Cidara for the costs incurred in conducting research and development of CD388 under an agreed research plan and budget. Cidara will receive an upfront payment of $27 million and will be eligible to receive up to an additional $753 million, which consists of budgeted R&D funding, as well as development, regulatory and commercial milestones. In addition, Cidara will receive tiered royalties on worldwide sales in the mid-to high-single digits, and will have the option to co-detail CD388 in the United States.
This collaboration represents a tremendous achievement for Cidara and validates the significant potential of our Cloudbreak AVC platform, as well as the incredible innovation and efforts of the Cidara team. Leveraging Janssen’s infrastructure and commercial capabilities will be invaluable to the expeditious development of CD388 for influenza on a global scale.
Currently, we believe there is a significant unmet need in the influenza landscape and large market opportunity. We all know influenza as a contagious infection that can cause severe illness, and sometimes it results in death, which is why the CDC recommends that all people over six months of age receive the flu vaccine each year. A 2018 CDC study estimated that about 8% of the U.S. population, or more than 25 million Americans, get sick from the flu in a typical year, even with current vaccination efforts, resulting in a total economic burden of over $11 billion per year.
1-888-562-0262 1-604-929-1352 www.viavid.com
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