Date: 2014-04-01
Type of information: Licensing agreement
Compound: Kappaproct®
Company: InDex Pharmaceuticals (Sweden) Almirall (Spain)
Therapeutic area:
Type agreement: licensing
Action mechanism: Kappaproct® (DIMS0150) is a modified single strand DNA-based synthetic oligodeoxyribonucleotide of 19 bases in length. The drug functions as an immunomodulatory agent by targeting the Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) present in immune cells residing in high abundance on mucosal surfaces, such as colonic and nasal mucosa. The mucosa of the colon and rectum of patients with ulcerative colitis contains active immune cells, which produce damage to the tissue. The activation of these cells by Kappaproct® results in the systemic release of specific cytokines (e.g., IL-10 and type I interferons) and chemokines which are believed to be important factors for the clinical effect of Kappaproct. Ex vivo experiments with Kappaproct have demonstrated that the drug has the ability to enhance the steroid sensitivity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from steroid refractory UC patients. Thus, the desired effect is to restore steroid sensitivity in steroid refractory patients such that they may benefit from the anti-inflammatory actions of the steroid and ultimately become steroid free.
Disease:
Details: * On April 01, 2014, InDex Pharmaceuticals and Almirall have announced that they have signed a license agreement for the European marketing rights to the drug candidate Kappaproct®. InDex Pharmaceutical\'s lead drug candidate Kappaproct® is a DNA-based immunomodulatory sequence (DIMS) that targets the toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9). Kappaproct® is a potential treatment for severe Ulcerative Colitis (UC). The results from the ongoing Phase III trial COLLECT are expected in mid-2014.
Financial terms: Under the terms of the agreement, InDex is eligible for an upfront payment as well as success driven milestone payments with a total deal value that could exceed €100M . InDex is also entitled to receive double digit royalties from Almirall on the European net sales of Kappaproct®.
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