Date: 2016-10-12
Type of information: R&D agreement
Compound: Nanobody® candidates directed towards a voltage gated ion channel
Company: Ablynx (Belgium) Merck&Co (USA - NJ)
Therapeutic area: undisclosed
Type agreement: R&D - development - commercialisation
Action mechanism:
Disease: undisclosed
Details:
- • On October 2, 2012, Ablynx has announced a collaboration with Merck & Co, through a subsidiary, to develop and commercialise Nanobody® candidates directed towards a voltage gated ion channel with the option to develop and commercialise a Nanobody to a second target. Under the terms of the agreement, Merck & Co gains exclusive global rights to Nanobodies against the selected target, with an option for similar rights to a second target. Ablynx will be responsible for the discovery of Nanobody candidates and Merck & Co will be responsible for the research, development, manufacturing and commercialisation of any Nanobody product resulting from the collaboration. The physiological importance of ion channels is underlined by their involvement in a wide range of conditions including neurological disorders, hypertension, diabetes, cancer and arrhythmia. Ion channels represent highly valuable therapeutic targets which are currently modulated by a range of small molecule drugs. In 2011, sales of the top 20 best-selling ion channel drugs amounted nearly $14 billion. Today, there are no approved antibody-based drugs that target ion channels.
Ablynx has already demonstrated modulation of ion channel activity in electrophysiology assays and has identified functional Nanobodies against both voltage-gated and ligand-gated ion channels. Nanobodies can be generated to have either an agonistic (enhancing) or antagonistic (blocking) effect.
Financial terms:
- Upon signing, Merck&Co will pay Ablynx a €6.5 million upfront payment and a €2 million fee for research funding. In addition, Ablynx will be eligible to receive up to €448 million in research, regulatory and commercial milestone payments associated with the progress of multiple candidates as well as tiered royalties on any products derived from the collaboration.
Latest news:
- • On October 12, 2016, Ablynx announced a second extension of its research collaboration with a subsidiary of Merck & Co, to develop and commercialise Nanobody® candidates directed towards an undisclosed voltage gated ion channel. The extension agreement will trigger a € 1 million milestone payment to Ablynx, and Merck&co will extend their funding of the research collaboration at Ablynx to September 2018. The ion channel collaboration was announced in October 2012 and included a €6.5 million upfront payment and €2 million in initial research funding. In March 2015, the Company announced a first extension of the research term to September 2016.
- • On March 26, 2015, Ablynx announced an extension of its initial two-year research collaboration with Merck & Co to develop and commercialise Nanobody® candidates directed towards an undisclosed voltage gated ion channel. Merck & Co will extend their funding of the research collaboration with Ablynx to the end of September 2016. This ion channel collaboration was announced in October 2012 and included a €6.5 million upfront payment and €2 million in initial research funding.
- Merck & Co and Ablynx have a separate collaboration in the field of cancer immuno-therapy, announced in February in 2014, with a €20 million upfront payment, €10.7 million in research funding and total potential milestone payments of up to €1.7 billion plus royalties.
Is general: Yes
