Aduro, NVS ink immuno-oncology collaboration: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/aduro-biotech-establishes-major-collaboration-051500447.html Aduro Biotech, Inc. today announced the establishment of a major collaboration with Novartis for the worldwide research, development and commercialization of novel immuno-oncology products derived from Aduro’s cyclic dinucleotide (CDN) approach to target the STING (Stimulator of Interferon Genes) receptor, that, when activated, is known to initiate broad innate and adaptive tumor-specific immune responses. …Novartis will make an upfront payment of $200 million to Aduro and, if all development milestones are met, Aduro is eligible to receive up to an additional aggregate amount of $500 million. In addition, Novartis has made an initial 2.7 percent equity investment in Aduro for $25 million, with a commitment for another $25 million investment at a future date. Aduro will lead commercialization activities and will book sales in the United States for any products developed and commercialized pursuant to this collaboration, with Novartis leading commercialization activities in all other regions. The companies will share in profits, if any, in the United States, Japan and major European countries. Novartis will pay Aduro a mid-teens royalty for sales in the rest of the world. Now we know why Aduro has held off as long as it has in preparing to IPO (#msg-111731017). No CC because Aduro is in a pre-IPO "quiet period." Note: The deal with NVS does not include Aduro’s listeria program.