Hanmi To Step Up Global Drug Development As Lilly Returns BTK Rights

Following Lilly’s decision to return rights to a BTK inhibitor it had licensed in from Hanmi, the South Korean pharma considers independently developing the molecule for other indications and vows to speed up development of other global drug programs.

Indianapolis - Circa April 2016: Eli Lilly and Company World Headquarters. Lilly makes Medicines and Pharmaceuticals IV - Image — Lilly Returns Rights To Hanmi's BTK Inhibitor

Eli Lilly & Co. has returned rights to the novel oral Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor LY3337641 (also known as HM71224) it had licensed in from originator Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. in 2015, in a move that was partly expected after the US giant decided to halt its Phase II trial of the molecule last year due to what it saw as weak data.

“After undertaking a thorough assessment of other development opportunities, including re-evaluation of all available clinical data, Lilly has elected to...