Date: 2016-10-06
Type of information: Termination of an agreement
Compound: multispecific DARPins® including multi-DARPin® drug candidate targeting IL-13 & IL-17
Company: Molecular Partners (Switzerland) Janssen Biotech (J&J company - USA)
Therapeutic area: Immunological diseases
Type agreement: R&D
Action mechanism: DARPins® are a new generation of target-binding proteins which can be isolated from large libraries. These non-antibody-based small proteins include a variable region that has been engineered for target binding. They combine the high specificity, selectivity and safety of monoclonal antibodies with many advantages of small molecules, including high stability and low-cost production and adding the ability of combining multiple specificities. DARPins® can be combined into multispecific drug candidates without compromising biophysical and development characteristics.
Disease: undisclosed immunological diseases
Details: * On December 8, 2011, Molecular Partners announced that the company has entered into a strategic research collaboration and option agreement with Janssen Biotech, Inc. to research, discover and develop DARPin® products for the treatment of immunological diseases. The collaboration and expansion of its current agreement with the company and its affiliates aims to explore a defined set of targets, including the use of multispecific DARPins®, to address diseases where continued unmet needs for effective treatment options continue to exist.
Under the agreement, Molecular Partners and Janssen Biotech will collaborate on research of DARPins to selected targets. During the research phase, Janssen Biotech has the right to exercise four options to exclusively license DARPin®-based products. Upon execution of each option, Janssen Biotech will be solely responsible for all clinical development, manufacturing, and commercialization activities. Molecular Partners has an option to co-develop one product on a global basis.
Financial terms: Molecular Partners will receive significant upfront fees, license payments and research funding as part of an innovative agreement, as well as development and sales milestones of up to $200 million for each option. Upon commercialization, Molecular Partners will be entitled to a tiered and up to double-digit royalty on worldwide net sales.
Latest news: * On October 6, 2016. Molecular Partners announced that the company regained the full rights to a multi-DARPin® drug candidate targeting both IL-13 and IL-17 with long systemic half-life and potential use in pulmonary indications following the discontinuation of a collaboration and license Agreement entered into with Janssen Biotech in 2011. Under the collaboration, Molecular Partners and Janssen and generated a multi-DARPin® drug candidate that is ready to enter into preclinical development. The research and development costs of this drug candidate were supported by Janssen. The termination of the collaboration with Janssen in immunology does not impact Molecular Partners‘ strategy. Molecular Partners is progressing programs in ophthalmology in partnership with Allergan and in oncology with a proprietary pipeline of DARPin® drug candidates. The most advanced programs are Abicipar currently in phase 3 and MP0250 which is moving into phase 2 clinical studies in hematological malignancies.
