Date: 2014-10-08
Type of information: Licensing agreement
Compound: Shionogi’s cardiovascular biologic program
Company: Medimmune (USA - global biologics arm of AstraZeneca (UK), Shionogi (Japan)
Therapeutic area: Cardiovascular diseases
Type agreement: licensing
Action mechanism:
Disease: acute coronary syndrome
Details: * On October 8, 2014, MedImmune, the global biologics research and development arm of AstraZeneca, and Shionogi & Co announced that they have entered a global license agreement under which MedImmune will in-license Shionogi’s novel preclinical biologic program for the potential treatment of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Under the terms of the agreement, MedImmune will acquire exclusive rights to Shionogi’s cardiovascular biologic program and will be responsible for all future research, development, and manufacturing.The licensed program acts on a biological mechanism that plays a physiological role in the metabolism of high-density lipoprotein (HDL). HDL is responsible for the transport of cholesterol out of blood vessels and plaques, and raising HDL levels has the potential to decrease the persistent residual risk in cardiovascular disease. AstraZeneca will be responsible for any future commercialization, while Shionogi retains an option to co-market in Japan. In addition to the new licensed program, MedImmune is also currently progressing a recombinant human LCAT, MEDI6012, in Phase I clinical trials for ACS. LCAT plays an important role in reverse cholesterol transport and, as a result, increases HDL levels. Currently, Shionogi and AstraZeneca co-market Crestor ® (rosuvastatin calcium) in Japan. AstraZeneca originally in-licensed CRESTOR® from Shionogi in 1998.
Financial terms: Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
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