Sundari and Corvane widen alliance to find long-acting antibodies

Sundari Life Sciences will pay Corvane Bio $600 million upfront to expand a research alliance that began in 2023, the companies said Sunday.

The new terms add four undisclosed targets in inflammatory disease and give Sundari global rights to any antibodies that result. Corvane is eligible for milestone payments and royalties, and keeps an option to share costs and profits in the U.S. on one program.

The partners are betting on dosing convenience. Corvane's engineering platform extends the time an antibody stays in circulation, which could allow injections every three to six months rather than every two to four weeks.

For Corvane, the cash arrives at a useful moment. The company faces an FDA decision on its lead drug in November and had about a year of funding before the deal.