Date: 2014-11-06
Type of information: Development agreement
Compound: Accurins based on a kinesin spindle protein (KSP) inhibitor and a polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) inhibitor
Company: Bind Therapeutics (USA - MA) Merck&Co (USA - NJ)
Therapeutic area: Cancer - Oncology
Type agreement: development
Action mechanism: enzyme inhibitor/kinase inhibitor Accurins™ are polymeric nanoparticles that incorporate a therapeutic payload and are designed to have prolonged circulation within the bloodstream, enable targeting of the diseased tissue or cells, and provide for the controlled and timely release of the therapeutic payload. Tissue targeting is achieved by engineering the physical and chemical properties—size, shape and surface properties—of the Accurin to allow it to escape through gaps in the blood vessels surrounding tumors and other disease sites. Cellular targeting is achieved using proprietary targeting ligands on the surface of the Accurin that binds to specific cell surfaces or tissue markers. Accurins are designed with specific polymers that provide for the controlled and timely release of the therapeutic payload. Upon administration, the therapeutic payload begins to diffuse through the polymeric matrix. Subsequently, the polymer breaks down to lactic acid, a compound naturally found in the body. If the therapeutic payload releases before the Accurins accumulate at the disease site, the Accurins will be unable to effectively increase drug concentration in the diseased tissue and the anticipated therapeutic impact will be minimized or lost. Similarly, if the therapeutic payload is not released, or releases too slowly, the anticipated therapeutic impact will be lost or minimized and new toxicities may be created. By combining prolonged circulation, triple targeting and controlled and timely release of the therapeutic payload, Accurins have the potential to significantly increase the net clinical benefit associated with the therapeutic payload and result in efficacy and safety currently not achievable through other therapeutic modalities.
Disease:
Details: * On November 6, 2014, Bind Therapeutics announced a joint research and development agreement with Merck&Co to discover and develop novel nanomedicines for oncology. This collaboration will leverage Bind's proprietary nanomedicine technology to create targeted Accurins based on novel, potent payloads from Merck&co's preclinical oncology portfolio. The first two Merck&co compounds include a kinesin spindle protein (KSP) inhibitor and a polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) inhibitor. Both KSP and PLK1 are regulators of cellular mitosis and are considered essential to the proliferation of cancer cells. These pathways have proven difficult to target effectively using conventional agents due to therapeutic index limitations. Under the terms of the agreement, Bind will apply its Medicinal Nanoengineering® platform to develop targeted Accurins based initially on Merck&co-supplied investigational KSP and PLK1 inhibitors. The agreement also includes the option to incorporate additional Merck&co compounds in the future.
Financial terms: Bind will fund and conduct research and development activities to advance Accurin product candidates based on these agents through first-in-human clinical studies, after which Merck&co and Bind will alternate in choosing whether or not to further develop and commercialize the Accurin products. If Bind opts in, in most scenarios there will be no payments made to Merck&co beyond a royalty on future product sales. If Merck&co opts in, it will pay Bind a fee based on a multiple of Bind's research and development expenses, plus a royalty on future product sales. Further terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
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