Date: 2016-10-17
Type of information: Termination of the agreement
Compound: ATX-MS-1467
Company: Apitope (UK) Merck KGaA (Germany)
Therapeutic area: Neurodegenerative diseases
Type agreement: R&D
Action mechanism: peptide. ATX-MS-1467 consists of four synthetic peptides that mimic naturally occurring peptides derived from human Myelin Basic Protein (MBP), a key autoantigen in multiple sclerosis. ATX-MS-1467 has been designed from naturally occurring MBP fragments and is intended to selectively inhibit the immune system's harmful attack on the protective myelin sheath surrounding the nervous cells while preserving the normal immune response to any harmful antigens, such as infections. ATX-MS-1467 has been developed by Apitope, a UK-based company developing antigen specific therapeutic peptides for the treatment of allergy and autoimmune diseases.
Disease: multiple sclerosis
Details: * On October 17, 2016, Apitope announced it has regained global rights to its compound, ATX-MS-1467, a potentially disease-modifying therapy for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Under the agreement with Merck KGaA, Apitope will regain all rights and clinical data associated with its compound ATX-MS-1467, which just completed a phase 2 clinical trial. Apitope aims to pursue new business collaborations to further progress development of ATX-MS-1467.
ATX-MS-1467 has successfully completed a Phase I clinical trial in six patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis and a second Phase I trial in 43 relapsing multiple sclerosis patients, assessing safety as well as biological parameters. Examination of the MRI results (new gadolinium- and total gadolinium-enhancing [Gd+] lesions) demonstrated a decrease of 78% in the number of Gd+ brain lesions in patients with relapsing MS treated with intradermal injection of ATX-MS-1467.
In 2009, Apitope granted exclusive worldwide rights to Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany to develop and commercialize ATX-MS-1467. Enrolment in a Phase IIa clinical trial of ATX-MS-1467 in Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis was completed in mid-2015, and the outcome of the study is expected Q4 2016. The terms of the agreement are not disclosed.
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