Date: 2016-04-14
Type of information: Licensing agreement
Compound: coversin (recombinant protein derived from the saliva of the Ornithodoros moubata tick)
Company: Akari Therapeutics (USA - NY - UK) XL-protein (Germany)
Therapeutic area: Rare diseases - Autoimmune diseases - Inflammatory diseases - Neurological diseases
Type agreement: licensing development commercialisation
Action mechanism: protein. Coversin is a second-generation complement inhibitor that acts on complement component-C5, preventing release of C5a and formation of C5b-9 (also known as the membrane attack complex or MAC). C5 inhibition is growing in importance in a range of rare autoimmune diseases related to dysregulation of the complement component of the immune system, including Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria, atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, and Guillain Barré syndrome.
Disease:
Details: * On April 14, 2016, Akari Therapeutics and XL-protein announced that they have entered into a license, development and commercialization agreement. This partnership is focused on developing a second generation, longer acting version of coversin. Under this collaboration agreement, XL-protein will apply its proprietary PASylation® technology for drug half-life extension to coversin. XL-protein has previously demonstrated that it can manufacture recombinant PASylated coversin. An initial study conducted in a mouse model indicates that PASylated coversin administered by subcutaneous injection remains fully active, with the high C5 binding activity of Coversin retained. In this study, it was found that PASylation of coversin extended the plasma half-life by over 50 fold. Akari Therapeutics plans to investigate the relative performance of PASylated coversin, administered by the subcutaneous route, in animal models of disease.
Financial terms: Under the terms of the agreement, XL-protein will receive an upfront payment as well as payments for achievement of preclinical, clinical, regulatory and commercial milestones. Furthermore, XL-protein will receive royalties on sales from marketed compounds resulting from the collaboration. Further financial terms have not been disclosed.
Latest news:
