Ropes & Gray advised LianBio in a licensing agreement with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a Johnson & Johnson company, in which LianBio has assigned to Janssen Lian’s exclusive rights to develop and commercialize a first-in class investigational radioenhancer activated by radiotherapy, NBTXR3, in China, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand. The transaction was announced on December 26.

Under the agreement, LianBio will receive a one-time payment of $25 million and is eligible to receive a sales milestone payment of $5 million.

In 2021, Ropes & Gray represented LianBio in in-licensing the original rights to NBTXR3 from Nanobiotix.

NBTXR3 is being evaluated in solid cancer tumors including locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

The Ropes & Gray team was led by life sciences licensing partner Hannah England and included emerging companies and venture capital partner Zach Blume, tax partner Elaine Murphy and tax counsel Michael Mendel.