Date: 2016-03-31
Type of information: Development agreement
Compound: Tropomyosin receptor kinase A (TrkA) inhibitors, including Array-invented ARRY-954
Company: Array BioPharma (USA - CO) Asahi Kasei Pharma (Japan)
Therapeutic area: Inflammatory diseases
Type agreement: development collaboration
Action mechanism: tropomyosin receptor kinase A (TrkA) inhibitor. TrkA is the highest affinity receptor for Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) and is widely expressed on peripheral pain sensing neurons. Activation of the TrkA pathway by NGF has been implicated in the pathogenesis of many difficult to treat human pain conditions such as osteoarthritis pain, chronic low back pain, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, cancer pain and interstitial cystitis. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that blocking the NGF/TrkA signaling axis with small molecule kinase inhibitors blocks peripheral pain responses in relevant in vivo models representing a variety of high unmet need human pain conditions. ARRY-954 is a potent, orally available, small molecule inhibitor of TrkA. Owing to its allosteric mechanism of TrkA inhibition, ARRY-954 achieves very high levels of selectivity over other members of the Trk kinase family as well as other off-target kinases. In preclinical studies, ARRY-954 has demonstrated inhibition of peripheral pain responses in a variety of in vivo models representing difficult to treat human pain conditions
Disease: pain, inflammatory diseases and other undisclosed non-cancer indications
Details: * On March 31, 2016, Array BioPharma and Asahi Kasei Pharma announced a strategic collaboration to develop and commercialize select Tropomyosin receptor kinase A (TrkA) inhibitors, including Array-invented ARRY-954, for pain, inflammation and other non-cancer indications. Array retains the right for all compounds for all indications outside of Asia. Within Asia, Array retains the right to cancer indications for all compounds, excluding those compounds being developed by Asahi Kasei Pharma, including ARRY-954. Asahi Kasei Pharma will have exclusive rights to develop and commercialize products in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China for pain, inflammation and other non-cancer indications.
Financial terms: Under the terms of the agreement, Array will receive an upfront payment of $12 million, is entitled to receive up to $64 million if certain development and commercialization milestones are achieved, and is eligible for up double-digit royalties.
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