aTyr and Kyorin sign termination agreement, ending Japan efzofitimod deal

aTyr Pharma and Kyorin Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. entered into a termination agreement on July 30, 2026, formally closing out their 2020 collaboration and license deal covering efzofitimod in Japan. Kyorin had first notified aTyr of its intent to terminate the collaboration without cause on May 12, 2026, with termination originally set to take effect 90 days after that notice.¹ The new agreement set July 30, 2026 as the termination date, terminated other ancillary agreements tied to the deal, and laid out wind-down activities between the two companies.¹

As a result, Kyorin's license ceased and the exclusive rights to develop and commercialize efzofitimod in Japan for all forms of interstitial lung disease reverted to aTyr, giving the company the right to develop and commercialize the drug globally.¹

Under the agreement, Kyorin granted aTyr worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual, royalty-free licenses to Kyorin's background technology and new Kyorin intellectual property needed to develop and commercialize the reversion products.¹ Kyorin also agreed to transfer to aTyr all data, reports, records, materials and information regarding the reversion products, listed as Handover Documents and Essential Documents in the agreement's schedules.¹

The companies confirmed there are no outstanding payments from Kyorin to aTyr regarding development costs.¹ On the transition timeline, unless otherwise specified elsewhere in the agreement, Kyorin's obligations under Article 4 expire twelve months after the termination date or upon completion of the relevant transition activity, with aTyr expected to use reasonable efforts to complete the transition as soon as practically possible.¹ The source does not specify which of these two conditions would govern if they occur at different times.