Date: 2015-01-13
Type of information: Licensing agreement
Compound: VE202
Company: Vedanta Biosciences (USA - MA) Janssen Biotech, a J&J company (USA - NJ)
Therapeutic area: Autoimmune diseases - Inflammatory diseases - Digestive diseases
Type agreement: licensing
Action mechanism: microbiome therapeutic
Disease: inflammatory bowel disease
Details: * On January 13, 2015, Vedanta Biosciences announced a license agreement with Janssen Biotech for Vedanta's lead microbiome pharmaceutical candidate (VE202), which has demonstrated efficacy in published preclinical studies using models of autoimmune disease. This candidate is a potential drug emerging from research demonstrating the role of the microbiome in human diseases. The development of VE202 originated from work conducted initially at the University of Tokyo by Dr. Kenya Honda, who showed that specific gut-dwelling bacteria control key immune cells that combat autoimmune diseases. Under terms of the agreement, which was facilitated by the Johnson & Johnson Innovation Center in Boston, Janssen will develop and seek to commercialize the pharmaceutical candidate in inflammatory bowel disease. Vedanta may continue to explore other disease indications and Janssen and Vedanta may elect to develop and commercialize within one or more additional indications with terms similar to the IBD indication. This agreement follows the initial investment that Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JJDC made in Vedanta in June 2013.
Financial terms: Vedanta will receive an up-front payment and is eligible to receive development and commercialization milestone payments for an IBD indication up to a potential total of $241 million, plus possible additional consideration related to commercialization.
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