After losing race for first to market in lupus nephritis, Aurinia taps Otsuka for voclosporin licensing pact abroad

Tiny biotech Aurinia Pharmaceuticals is looking to slay a giant in GlaxoSmithKline’s Benlysta — which just scored a big approval in lupus nephritis — with its late-stage voclosporin on the cusp of an FDA approval. Looking to take its commercial plans global, Aurinia has tapped a Japanese pharma to accelerate its potential voclosporin launch.