Date: 2016-11-21
Type of information: Licensing agreement
Compound: Enhanze™ platform
Company: Abbvie (USA - IL) Halozyme Therapeutics (USA - CA)
Therapeutic area: Technology - Services
Type agreement: licensing development commercialisation
Action mechanism: Enhanze™ is Halozyme's proprietary drug delivery platform based on its patented recombinant human hyaluronidase enzyme (rHuPH20). rHuPH20 has been shown to remove traditional limitations on the volume of biologics that can be delivered subcutaneously (just under the skin). By using rHuPH20, some biologics and compounds that are administered intravenously may instead be delivered subcutaneously. Enhanze™ may also benefit subcutaneous biologics by reducing the need for multiple injections. This delivery has been shown in studies to reduce health care practitioner time required for administration and shorten time for drug administration.
Disease:
Details: * On June 3, 2015, Halozyme Therapeutics announced a global collaboration and license agreement with AbbVie to develop and commercialize products combining proprietary AbbVie compounds with Halozyme's Enhanze™ platform. The Enhanze™ platform is based on a proprietary recombinant human hyaluronidase enzyme (rHuPH20) that temporarily degrades hyaluronan, a chain of natural sugars in the body, to aid in the dispersion and absorption of other injected therapeutic drugs. For AbbVie, this technology may allow for more rapid delivery of injectable medications through subcutaneous delivery. Other top pharmaceutical and biotech companies partnering with Halozyme include Roche, Pfizer, Janssen and Baxter.
Financial terms: Under the terms of the agreement, Halozyme will receive an initial $23 million payment, followed by milestone payments totaling approximately $130 million for each of up to nine collaboration targets. These payments are subject to AbbVie's achievement of specified development, regulatory and sales-based milestones. In addition, AbbVie will pay Halozyme tiered royalties if products under the collaboration are commercialized.
Latest news: * On November 21, 2016, Halozyme Therapeutics announced that AbbVie has discontinued a development program using the Halozyme ENHANZE™ platform technology and the tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) target following completion of a phase 1 study in which the target results were not achieved. Halozyme and AbbVie will continue to work collaboratively to identify additional targets for co-development under their 2015 Global Collaboration and Licensing agreement. TNF-alpha was the first nominated target of nine included as part of the agreement.
