In a deal potentially worth more than US$1.3 B, NantPharma is to acquire rights from Sorrento Therapeutics to Cynviloq™ (paclitaxel nanoparticle polymeric micelle), a next-generation version of Abraxane® (albumin-bound paclitaxel) that is being evaluated in a Phase III bioequivalence trial. The deal provides a significant endorsement of the potential of Cynviloq, given that NantPharma’s Managing Director and Chairman Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong invented Abraxane and founded its developer Abraxis BioScience, which was acquired by Celgene for US$2.9 B in 2010.