MENARINI ANNOUNCES THE FOUNDING OF VAXYNETHIC, JOINT VENTURE WITH BIOSYNTH

The Menarini Group announces the founding of VaxYnethic, a joint venture between Menarini NewTech and BiosYnth, pioneer company operating in the field of technologies for the production of conjugated vaccines.

VaxYnethic, taking full advantage of the technological know how of BiosYnth and Menarini, will be engaged in a medium to long term research project on an innovative technological platform for the production of biopharmaceuticals. The objective of the project is to work on a new technology which will allow researchers to expedite the production processes of biopharmaceuticals, as well as co-operate with other market players in order to reduce the manufacturing time for vaccines and satisfy the ever growing demand on a worldwide scale.

Menarini’s interest in high technology is not new. In 2013 The Menarini Group acquired the Silicon Biosystems Menarini start up, a company which operates in the field of personalised medicine and holder of the patent on the DEPArray™ system which allows researchers to carry out a precise analysis of rare tumour cells. Later, in 2014, Menarini Biomarkers was founded, a company which currently conducts research projects on new biomarkers for the development of personalised medicine with the support of the DEPArray™ system.

GSK and Adaptimmune Expand Collaboration

GlaxoSmithKline plc and Adaptimmune Therapeutics plc announced that the companies have expanded the terms of their strategic collaboration agreement to accelerate Adaptimmune’s lead clinical cancer programme, an affinity enhanced T-cell immunotherapy targeting NY-ESO-1 toward pivotal trials in synovial sarcoma.

Adaptimmune and GSK announced a strategic collaboration and licensing agreement in June 2014 for up to five programmes, including the lead NY-ESO TCR programme. GSK has an option on the NY-ESO- 1 programme through clinical proof of concept, and, on exercise, will assume full responsibility for the programme.

Under the terms of the expanded agreement, the companies will accelerate the development of Adaptimmune’s NY-ESO therapy into pivotal studies in synovial sarcoma and will explore development in myxoid round cell liposarcoma. Additionally, the companies may initiate up to eight proof-of-principle studies exploring combinations with other therapies, including checkpoint inhibitors. According to the expanded development plan, the studies will be conducted by Adaptimmune with GSK effectively funding the pivotal studies and sharing the costs of the combination studies via a success based milestone structure. 

Adaptimmune’s affinity enhanced T-cell candidates are novel cancer immunotherapies that have been engineered to target and destroy cancer cells by strengthening a patient’s natural T-cell response. Using its proprietary technology, Adaptimmune has created a pipeline of affinity enhanced T-cell therapies targeting certain antigens, including cancer testis antigens such as NY-ESO.  NY-ESO-1 is one of the best-characterized and most immunogenic cancer testis antigens, and is frequently expressed by tumors of different origins and in advanced tumors.

BMS and Pfizer Sign Collaboration with Portola Pharmaceuticals

Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb announced that the companies have entered into a collaboration agreement with Portola Pharmaceuticals Inc. to develop and commercialize the investigational agent andexanet alfa in Japan. Andexanet alfa, which is in Phase 3 clinical development in the U.S. and Europe, is designed to reverse the anticoagulant activity of Factor Xa inhibitors, includingEliquis (apixaban).

Under the terms of the agreement, Portola will receive an upfront payment of $15 million, potential regulatory milestones of $20 million and sales-based milestones of $70 million as well as compensation based on andexanet alfa net sales. Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer will co-fund with Portola the development and commercialization of andexanet alfa in Japan. Portola will retain rights to andexanet alfa outside of Japan and remain responsible for the manufacturing supply.

This agreement builds on the companies’ existing clinical collaboration to develop andexanet alfa in the U.S. and Europe. In December 2015, Portola announced it had completed the submission of a Biologics License Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for andexanet alfa and was awaiting acceptance for filing. The FDA assigned a PDUFA date of August 17, 2016, under an Accelerated Approval pathway. Portola has stated that it plans to submit an EU application in 2017.

Andexanet alfa, an investigational drug, is a modified human Factor Xa molecule that acts as a decoy to target and sequester with high specificity both oral and injectable Factor Xa inhibitors in the blood. Once bound, the Factor Xa inhibitors are unable to bind to and inhibit native Factor Xa, thus allowing for the restoration of normal hemostatic processes. Andexanet alfa is the only compound being studied as a reversal agent for Factor Xa inhibitors that directly and specifically corrects anti-Factor Xa activity – the anticoagulant mechanism of these agents.

AstraZeneca and Incyte in Collaboration

AstraZeneca and Incyte Corporation announced a new collaboration to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Incyte’s Janus-associated kinase (JAK) 1 inhibitor, INCB39110, in combination with AstraZeneca’s next generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor, Tagrisso^® (osimertinib). The combination will be assessed as a second line treatment for patients with EGFR mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), who have been treated with a first generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) and subsequently developed the T790M resistance mutation.

There is increasing evidence that signalling through the JAK-STAT (signal transducer and activator of transcription) pathway could be a contributing factor in resistance to EGFR TKI treatment in patients with EGFR mutation NSCLC. Blocking both JAK and EGFR activity may therefore offer an improved targeted treatment benefit in some patients.

Under the terms of the agreement, AstraZeneca and Incyte will collaborate on a Phase I/II study, to be conducted by Incyte. The Phase I part of the trial is expected to establish a recommended dose regimen for the combination of INCB39110 and Tagrisso, while the Phase II part of the study will assess the safety and efficacy profile. Results from the study will be used to determine whether further clinical development of this combination is warranted.

Sanofi and Warp Drive Bio in Collaboration

Sanofi and Warp Drive Bio, a privately held biotechnology company using the molecules and mechanisms of nature to discover and develop transformative medicines, announced that they have extended and reshaped their existing collaboration utilizing Warp Drive's proprietary SMART(TM) (Small Molecule Assisted Receptor Targeting) and Genome Mining platforms to discover novel oncology therapeutics and antibiotics. 

 

Sanofi, who has been a major investor and strategic partner since Warp Drive's inception in 2012, and Warp Drive have entered into a research collaboration and exclusive license focused on the development of drugs targeting important human oncogenes including RAS, which has one of the highest mutation rates in cancer - and new antibiotics targeting Gram-negative bacteria. Warp Drive Bio retains the rights to deploy its platforms to pursue discovery and development against all other targets, both alone and in collaboration with other companies.

The collaboration is an outgrowth of Sanofi's Sunrise initiative, a strategic partnership model that seeks to invest in early stage opportunities that align with Sanofi's expert development and commercialization abilities. 

Under the terms of the Agreement, Warp Drive will lead the research collaboration for a period of five years and Sanofi will receive worldwide exclusive licenses to develop and commercialize the candidates discovered during the research term. 

Warp Drive is eligible to receive from Sanofi cumulative payments in excess of $750 million across four successful collaboration programs, including an equity investment by Sanofi, research, clinical, and regulatory milestones, and research and development services

Pfizer Enters into Collaboration with Adaptive Biotechnologies

Pfizer Inc and Adaptive Biotechnologies Corporation have entered into a translational research collaboration to leverage next generation sequencing of the adaptive immune system to advance Pfizer’s growing immuno-oncology franchise. Under the terms of the agreement, Pfizer and Adaptive will seek to combine drug development and platform technology biomarker expertise to identify patients who may preferentially benefit from immunotherapy.

 

Understanding and reliably measuring each patient’s immune response to their cancer before and after therapy is critical to defining the most appropriate immunotherapy for that patient. Adaptive’s immunosequencing platform quantitatively and reproducibly measures the patient’s immune-cell repertoire, providing a powerful translational tool to accelerate Pfizer’s immuno-oncology biomarker and drug development programs.

Adaptive Biotechnologies, the leading experts in profiling the immune cell repertoire, will work with Pfizer to apply their proprietary immunosequencing platform technology, bioinformatics capability, and scientific expertise to advance Pfizer’s rapidly expanding immuno-oncology pipeline.

BioQ Pharma and Cipla Enter into an Agreement

BioQ Pharma Incorporated and Cipla Limited announced the signing of a strategic distribution, supply and development agreement for the registration and commercialization of BioQ Pharma's Ropivacaine infusion pharmaceutical in India.

BioQ Pharma's unit-dose infusion pharmaceuticals have been developed as ready-to-use presentations in which the drugs and administration system are self-contained and delivered at the point of care. In particular, the Ropivacaine infusion system is pre-filled, ready to use at the point of care, and intended to provide a safer, more efficient continuous-infusion post-operative pain solution.

Takeda in New Business Venture With Teva

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. made the below follow-up announcement regarding the overview of their new business venture in Japan, which was initially disclosed on November 30, 2015 in the press release titled, "Teva and Takeda establish unique partnership to meet the wide-ranging needs of patients and growing importance of generic medicines use in Japan".

• The new business venture, to be established in or after April 2016, will deliver Teva's high-quality generic medicines and some of Takeda's long listed products to patients and healthcare professionals in Japan, leveraging Takeda's corporate brand and unique distribution network in Japan and Teva's wide product portfolio and cutting-edge business efficiency.
• The major long listed products of Takeda to be transferred to the new business venture in FY2016 are BLOPRESS, TAKEPRON and BASEN. Total sales of the products to be transferred in FY2016 were 125 billion yen in FY2014, which was 7% of Takeda's global revenue. As a result of the transaction, Takeda’s FY2016 revenue is estimated to decrease by approximately 50 billion yen, based upon current assumptions. LEUPLIN remains at Takeda, as a product of Takeda Oncology.
• The new business venture, to be owned 51% by Teva and 49% by Takeda, will consist of Teva Takeda Pharma and Teva Takeda Yakuhin. The details of establishing these companies by an absorption-type company split are outlined in a separate release issued by Takeda to file to the Tokyo Stock Exchange: "Takeda Announces Details of New Business Venture with Teva in Japan - Splitting off (absorption-type split) of Takeda's Long Listed Products Business and its Subsequent Succession by Teva" (herein called "Takeda's TSE Filing").
• Takeda anticipates that the transaction will be both EPS and cash flow accretive in FY2016 and over the long-term, due to growth of the generic business and the addition of products from Takeda and Teva to the new business venture. The new business venture will be instantly accretive to Teva's non GAAP EPS in 2016 and beyond. Some additional details about the financial impact of the transaction are outlined in Takeda's TSE Filing, and all will be incorporated into Takeda's FY2016 forecast which will be communicated in May 2016.

Daiichi Sankyo Korea Signs Agreement with Daewoong Pharmaceutical

Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Daiichi Sankyo Korea Co., Ltd, and Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. have signed an agreement for the co-promotion of the oral, once-daily anti-coagulant, LIXIANA^® (generic name: edoxaban).

Daewoong Pharmaceutical is also the co-promotion partner in South Korea for the Daiichi Sankyo antihypertensives Olmetec^®, Olmetec Plus^®, Sevikar^®, Sevikar HCT^®, and through this new agreement, Daiichi Sankyo Korea aims to maximize LIXIANA’s product value and further contribute to disease treatment and prevention in South Korea.

LIXIANA was approved in South Korea in August 2015 and will be launched within this fiscal year.

Takeda Agree Sale of Respiratory Portfolio to AstraZeneca

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its respiratory portfolio to AstraZeneca. In 2014 Takeda defined four therapeutic areas of focus: Gastroenterology, Oncology, Central Nervous System, and Cardiovascular and Metabolic. This divestiture will allow Takeda to work on becoming best-in-class in these therapeutic areas, while maintaining continuity of care for patients.

Under the terms of the agreement, AstraZeneca will acquire the respiratory business including products Daxas (roflumilast), Alvesco and Omnaris (ciclesonide). The acquisition will also include regional and local products, as well as several pre-clinical assets. A number of Takeda employees will transfer to AstraZeneca upon completion of the divestiture.

The financial impact from this divestiture on Takeda’s 2015 consolidated financial statements is expected to be minimal. Sales of respiratory products, Daxas, Alvesco and Omnaris, totaled approximately 24 billion yen in fiscal year 2014. The transaction is expected to close during the first calendar quarter of 2016, subject to customary closing conditions.

Janssen announces collaboration with FIND

Janssen Pharmaceutica NV (Janssen) has announced it has entered into a novel collaboration with the non-profit organisation FIND to step-up the fight against the public health threat of tuberculosis (TB) and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB).

The partnership draws on the expertise of FIND and Janssen; in particular FIND’s innovative work in increasing access to affordable diagnostic solutions; the capabilities of Janssen Diagnostics - a global division specializing in diagnostics; as well as Janssen’s experience in pharmaceuticals development and innovative access models. The collaboration will focus on providing increased access to molecular diagnostics tools for TB case detection and MDR-TB diagnosis, and on ensuring accelerated access to effective treatments.

This need to address early diagnosis was recently highlighted as one of the core components of the post-2015 End TB Strategy. The inadequacy of current diagnostic solutions, particularly in terms of point-of-care diagnosis, has been a crucial barrier to efforts to contain the spread of TB infection, especially the more complex drug-resistant strains, with around one in four cases of MDR-TB being detected, and only 50 percent successfully treated. 

 
Janssen and FIND will collaborate on a variety of projects with other partners, including developers and national TB control programs to close the gap in diagnosis and treatment.

SANOFI AND BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM ON BUSINESS SWAP

Sanofi and Boehringer Ingelheim announced that the companies have entered into exclusive negotiations to swap businesses. The proposed transaction would consist of an exchange of Sanofi animal health business ("Merial") with an enterprise value of €11.4 bn and Boehringer Ingelheim consumer healthcare (CHC) business with an enterprise value of €6.7 bn. Boehringer Ingelheim CHC business in China would be excluded from the transaction. The transaction would also include a gross cash payment from Boehringer Ingelheim to Sanofi of €4.7 bn.

The transaction would allow Sanofi to become the number one ranked player in CHC with expected pro formasales of approximately €5.1 bn in 2015(e) and a global market share close to 4.6%1. Sales of Boehringer Ingelheim CHC business (excluding China) are estimated at about €1.6 bn for 2015 and are highly complementary with those of Sanofi CHC, both in terms of products and geographies. Boehringer Ingelheim CHC would improve the position of Sanofi in Germany and Japan where Sanofi CHC presence is limited, and expand Sanofi presence in its Priority Categories. Sanofi would gain access to iconic brands in Antispasmodics, Gastrointestinal, VMS and Analgesics, and attain critical mass in Cough & Cold. Sanofi CHC business in the US, Europe, Latin America and Eurasia would also expand significantly, giving it multiple leadership postions in key countries and/or on key product categories. 

The animal health industry is a very attractive industry in terms of innovation, growth potential and profitability. Combining Merial's and Boehringer Ingelheim's complementary strengths would create the second largest player in the global animal health market with pro forma sales of approximately € 3.8 bn in 2015(e) with the ability to compete for global market leadership. The combined portfolios and technology platforms in anti-parasitics, vaccines and pharmaceutical specialities would place the combined company in the key growth segments of the industry. The species portfolios are highly complementary building on Merial's expertise in companion animals and poultry and BI's expertise in swine.

Sun Pharma in Collaboration With Weizmann Institute

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd has entered into a tripartite research and option agreement with Israel-based Weizmann Institute of Science and Spain’s Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS) to develop breakthrough products for the treatment of neurological diseases like brain stroke; as well as glioblastoma, a lethal brain cancer. Scientists at Weizmann Institute have developed a recombinant enzyme currently undergoing animal studies for indications of brain stroke and glioblastoma. Further studies of this enzyme will be conducted at the Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Moreover, this enzyme may potentially be indicated for uses beyond these two brain diseases. 

As per the signed triparty agreement, Sun Pharma will have the first right to develop these additional indications. Sun Pharma will have the exclusive option to conduct further development of the enzyme after completion of the preclinical studies. The company will have commercial rights to this product globally. It will also fund all future studies to be conducted on the enzyme. The tripartite research collaboration agreement has been signed between Sun Pharma, Yeda Research & Development Company, Ltd. (the commercial arm of the Weizmann Institute of Science), and Fundacion Ramón Domínguez (on behalf of IDIS). Based on outcome of animal studies, Sun Pharma will have an option to exercise rights for further development and commercialization of the enzyme.  

Takeda and Cour Partner in Collaboration

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and Cour Pharmaceutical Development Company, Inc. announced a partnership to research and develop novel immune modulating therapies for the potential treatment of celiac disease. The partnership will focus on using nanotechnologies based on Cour’s Tolerizing Immune Modifying nanoParticle (TIMP) platform, which can be extended to certain autoimmune and allergic conditions by inhibiting the abnormal immune responses that cause disease, without affecting the beneficial parts of the immune system.

The collaboration will explore the potential of TIMP therapy to allow celiac patients to tolerate gluten in their diet. The TIMPs, developed in cooperation with Northwestern University researchers, consist of a proprietary polymer and antigenic proteins, which are fully encapsulated for safety and administered intravenously. The TIMP compounds target the underlying cause of celiac disease by systemically targeting and controlling, gluten-reactive T-cells in patients, as opposed to broad immunosuppression.
Cour will receive upfront and success based milestone payments from Takeda leading to an exclusive option to acquire a global license to the TIMP-GLIA program after the completion of the Phase 2a clinical trial. Cour will also receive royalties on sales of any successful commercialized products resulting from the partnership. Takeda will also have the option to collaborate on up to three additional TIMP compounds each with development, regulatory, and sales milestones and royalties on sales. Further details of the agreement were not disclosed.

AstraZeneca Plans Mobile App for Ovarian Cancer Studies

AstraZeneca announced plans to test a digital support service for women undergoing treatment for recurrent platinum-sensitive high-grade ovarian cancer in clinical trials of cediranib plus olaparib. Voluntis has developed the service in close clinical collaboration with AstraZeneca and the US National Cancer Institute (NCI). It is delivered through a smartphone app paired with a web portal to help clinicians and patients manage side effects of hypertension and diarrhoea sometimes associated with combination therapy with cediranib and olaparib. Such side effects are traditionally described to care teams through manual, time-consuming and non-digitised channels.

The app will be tested as a companion device in three separate clinical trials sponsored by the NCI beginning in the first quarter of 2016, under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between the NCI and AstraZeneca. This approach illustrates a clear focus on understanding the patient journey when developing therapeutic solutions. The service will also serve as a pilot within AstraZeneca’s broader strategy of using digital technology to complement treatment and to improve patient outcomes.

Cediranib is a highly potent, selective, orally-administered inhibitor of VEGF-1, -2 and -3 receptors. It has been shown to inhibit angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in the vascularization of platinum sensitive tumor types. In July 2015, cediranib filing was accepted by the European Medicines agency and awarded Orphan Drug status for the treatment of platinum sensitive relapse ovarian cancer. Cediranib also in development, in combination with Lynparza (olaparib), for platinum sensitive relapse ovarian cancer and platinum resistant relapse ovarian cancer.

Olaparib is an innovative, first-in-class oral poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor that exploits tumour DNA repair pathway deficiencies to preferentially kill cancer cells. This mode of action gives olaparib the potential for activity in a range of tumour types with DNA repair deficiencies. Olaparib is the first PARP inhibitor to be approved for patients with germline BRCA-mutated advanced ovarian cancer, and has been launched in the U.S. and Europe, with ongoing regulatory submissions across multiple markets. In addition to ovarian cancer, AstraZeneca is investigating the full potential of olaparib in multiple tumour types, with Phase III studies in second line gastric cancer, BRCA-mutated pancreatic cancer and adjuvant and metastatic BRCA-mutated breast cancers underway.

Boehringer Ingelheim and MD Anderson Cancer Center in Collaboration

Boehringer Ingelheim and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center announced a collaboration focused on developing innovative medicines for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The new collaboration combines MD Anderson’s unique understanding of potential drivers of PDAC with Boehringer Ingelheim’s experience in drug discovery and development. 

Pancreatic cancer accounts for four percent of cancer deaths worldwide (330,000 people) and is the seventh most common cause of death from cancer. Pancreatic cancer is anticipated to become the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States before 2030. Newly diagnosed patients have a median survival of less than one year, and a 5-year survival rate of only 3 to 5 percent. PDAC is one of the most lethal of cancers due to its late detection and resistance to available standard-of-care therapy. Effective medicines directed against PDAC are therefore urgently needed. 

The collaboration will focus on identifying and developing therapeutic concepts in novel target areas as well as identification of biomarkers that can accurately identify patients who would respond to potential new therapies. 

Roche and Upsher-Smith in Licence Agreement

Roche and Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc., through its wholly-owned UK subsidiary Proximagen Ltd., announced a worldwide agreement for the further development of a novel, oral small molecule inhibitor of Vascular Adhesion Protein 1 (VAP-1), a cell-adhesion molecule that may be effective in the treatment of inflammatory diseases. The VAP-1 inhibitor is currently in phase II clinical development.

Under the terms of the agreement, Roche is granted a worldwide exclusive license to develop and commercialize the compound. In a novel collaboration model, Roche and Proximagen will conduct additional phase II studies to further define the therapeutic potential of the VAP-1 inhibitor. Based on these data Roche will assume responsibility for late stage development and worldwide commercialization. Proximagen will receive an upfront payment, along with downstream development, regulatory and sales milestones. In addition, Proximagen will also receive tiered royalties on net sales of a potential future product containing the molecule.

Since 2012, Proximagen has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Upsher-Smith. With an integrated drug discover facility based in Cambridge, UK, Proximagen acts as Upsher-Smith’s research and early development institute. Proximagen and its predecessor companies have a long heritage in discovery and development of novel small molecules, in particular in the areas of CNS, pain and inflammation.

Sanofi and Hanmi Announce License Agreement

Sanofi and Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd announced a worldwide license agreement to develop a portfolio of experimental, long-acting diabetes treatments.

Under the terms of the agreement, Hanmi will receive an upfront payment of €400 million and is eligible for up to €3.5 billion in development, registration and sales milestones, as well as double digit royalties on net sales. Sanofi will obtain an exclusive worldwide license to develop and commercialize 1.) efpeglenatide, a late-stage long-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RA); 2.) a weekly insulin and 3.) a fixed-dosed weekly GLP-1-RA/insulin drug combination. Collectively, these therapeutic offerings are known as the "Quantum Project" utilizing Hanmi's proprietary Long Acting Protein / Peptide Discovery Platform LAPSCOVERY technology. Hanmi will retain an exclusive option to co-commercialize the products in Korea and China.

The Quantum Portfolio is based on Hanmi's proprietary LAPSCOVERY (Long Acting Protein/Peptide Discovery) Technology which is a platform technology that prolongs the duration of action of biologics. The objective is to minimize the frequency of treatment and the dose required, thereby potentially lowering the adverse event rates and optimizing efficacy, according to Hamni.

Sanofi and BioNTech Announce Collaboration

Sanofi and BioNTech announced that they have entered into a multiyear exclusive collaboration and license agreement. This research collaboration between Sanofi and BioNTech will leverage the scientific expertise of the two organizations to discover and develop up to five cancer immunotherapies, each consisting of a mixture of synthetic messenger RNAs (mRNAs).

Sanofi and BioNTech have agreed to $60 million in upfront and near-term milestone payments, payable to BioNTech under the terms of the agreement. Further, BioNTech could receive over $300 million in development, regulatory and commercial milestones and other payments per product. If commercialized successfully, BioNTech would also be eligible for tiered royalties on net sales up to double digits. In addition, BioNTech has the option to co-develop and co-commercialize two of the five mRNA therapeutics products with Sanofi in the European Union and the United States.

Complementing Sanofi's global oncology footprint and scientific expertise, BioNTech will combine the use of its proprietary mRNA technology platform with its extensive capabilities in developing immune-stimulating pharmaceuticals. As part of this effort, BioNTech will utilize its mRNA formulation technology, which enables targeted mRNA delivery in vivo, to generate novel cancer immunotherapies. BioNTech will also supply part of the mRNA material needed for development activities from its in-house GMP manufacturing unit.

Purdue Pharma L.P. and AnaBios Corporation in collaboration

Purdue Pharma L.P. and AnaBios Corporation announced today the intent to form a joint venture aimed at accelerating the development of Purdue Pharma’s Nav1.7 sodium ion channel compounds for the treatment of chronic pain. The joint research and development effort would leverage Purdue Pharma’s intellectual property and lead compounds, combined with AnaBios’ Phase-X^® technology. 

Purdue Pharma has more than 10 years of research history in the sodium channel field that led to multiple patent applications and numerous lead compounds targeting Nav1.7 as well as other sodium channel isoforms that are potentially useful for the treatment of chronic pain. Purdue Pharma also has extensive clinical development experience in advancing new drugs for treating pain

AnaBios is an innovative drug discovery company employing its proprietary Phase-X^® technology to enable the discovery of novel drugs directly in human tissues, bypassing animal experimentation. AnaBios generates highly valuable and predictive human data that ensure the selection of the most effective and safest drugs before investing in expensive and time consuming clinical trials. AnaBios has established a unique and unprecedented capability for studying the human peripheral pain pathway in the laboratory, therefore enabling the identification of novel analgesic drugs with potential efficacy in human.