Karo Bio and Alkem laboratories collaborates

 

The two companies have entered into a collaboration and license agreement regarding eprotirome, currently in late-stage clinical testing for dyslipidemia. Karo Bio will grant Alkem rights to commercialize eprotirome in India and certain other countries. Alkem will participate in Karo Bio's phase III program for eprotirome by conducting a pivotal clinical study on eprotirome in India.

 

Under the agreement, Alkem will receive the exclusive rights to commercialize eprotirome in India and certain other markets in Asia-Pacific and Africa. Karo Bio is entitled to royalty on Alkem's future sales of eprotirome.

 

"The benefits with the collaboration are several. Firstly, it represents a substantial financial value, since our investment in eprotirome's phase III program will decrease from about SEK 400 million to SEK 300 million as a consequence of Alkem conducting one of the studies. Secondly, we secure distribution in the Indian market, as well as in a number of emerging markets. Finally, we facilitate a broadening of the indication scope of eprotirome, by conducting the study in India in patients representing a larger patient population" said Karo Bio's President and CEO Fredrik Lindgren.

 

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DuoCort Pharma and Clinigen sign agreement

 

The Swedish specialty pharma company, DuoCort Pharma and UK-based Clinigen, a global provider of specialist and unlicensed medicines, announce that they have concluded an agreement whereby Clinigen will manage a Named Patient Programme for Plenadren, a novel treatment for Addison´s disease. The product has orphan status in Europe and the USA and is currently in the European Union (EU) registration process for marketing authorisation.

 

Commenting on the Agreement, Mark Corbett, Clinigen’s Global Strategic Planning Director said: “We are delighted that DuoCort has selected Clinigen to manage a Named Patient Programme for Plenadren.  Our team has extensive global experience of developing innovative, flexible and effective Named Patient Programmes that facilitate and address the needs of patients, health professionals, regulatory authorities and biopharmaceutical companies.  We look forward to working with DuoCort”.

“We are very pleased to be working with Clinigen who are an experienced provider of specialist medicines enabling the access of Plenadren to meet the unmet needs for the patients with Addison´s disease.” commented Maria Forss, CEO of DuoCort Pharma

 

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Active Biotech and Ipsen enter partership

 

The two companies have entered into a broad partnership to co-develop and commercialize Active Biotech's investigational compound Tasquinimod "TASQ". A global Phase III trial of TASQ in men with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) was recently initiated by Active Biotech and patient recruitment is ongoing.

 

"We are excited to initiate the development of TASQ with Ipsen, who has a proven track record and strong R&D capabilities within prostate cancer. We consider Ipsen an ideal partner for Active Biotech and with this partnership a powerful development and commercialization strategy for TASQ has been secured," said Tomas Leanderson, President and CEO of Active Biotech.

 

Under the terms of the agreement, Active Biotech granted Ipsen exclusive rights to commercialize TASQ worldwide, except for North and South America and Japan where Active Biotech retains all commercial and marketing rights. Both companies will co-develop TASQ for the treatment of castrate-resistant prostate cancer, with the possibility to develop TASQ in other cancer indications.

 

Active Biotech is responsible for conducting and funding the Phase III pivotal clinical trial and will receive up to ?200 million consisting of an upfront payment of ?25 million and additional payments contingent upon achievement of clinical, regulatory and commercial milestones. In addition, Ipsen will pay Active Biotech progressive double-digit royalties on its net sales and will conduct and fund a European supportive study in prostate cancer patients out of its R&D budget. Eventual costs to develop TASQ in future other cancer indications will be shared.

 

 

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Genmab and Seattle Genetics expand collaboration

 

The companies announced that the companies have entered into a second antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) research collaboration agreement. Under the new agreement, Genmab has rights to utilize Seattle Genetics’ ADC technology with HuMax-CD74, an antibody in pre-clinical development to target CD74, which is expressed on a wide range of hematological malignancies and solid tumors. Seattle Genetics received an undisclosed upfront payment and has the right to exercise a co-development and co-commercialization option for any resulting ADC products at the end of Phase I clinical development.

“We are very pleased to expand our collaboration with Seattle Genetics, who have been fantastic partners, and at the same time to add a HuMax-CD74 ADC to Genmab’s pre-clinical product pipeline,” said Jan van de Winkel, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Genmab.

Genmab is responsible for research, manufacturing, pre-clinical development and Phase I clinical evaluation of ADCs under this new collaboration. Seattle Genetics will receive research support payments for any assistance provided to Genmab. If Seattle Genetics opts into an ADC product at the end of Phase I, a payment would be due to Genmab and the companies would co-develop and share all future costs and profits for the product on a 50:50 basis. If Seattle Genetics does not opt in to an ADC product, Genmab would pay Seattle Genetics fees, milestones and mid-single digit royalties on worldwide net sales of the product.

 

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Affitech signs agreement with UT Southwestern

 

The company has signed a sponsored research agreement with Dr Rolf Brekken at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, USA, to further understand the mechanism and potential differentiation of Affitech’s lead antibody drug candidate AT001/R84.

 

The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas in the USA will conduct certain research regarding Affitech’s anti-VEGF antibody drug candidate AT001/r84, including certain comparative studies with bevacizumab in animal models. Affitech will collaborate with Dr. Rolf Brekken, who has previously published scientific articles on AT001/r84’s effect on cancer in mice.

 

Affitech will obtain certain rights to intellectual property developed during the course of the research with a view to profitable commercialization of such intellectual property for Affitech’s benefit. The university will perform the research and grant certain rights to such intellectual property.

 

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Labvantage acquires Software Point

 

Software Point has been a long-time partner in Northern Europe to Labvantage, with offices in Finland, Sweden and Norway.

 

“Software Point has been a partner and distributor to LABVANTAGE in Northern Europe since the year 2000. Since then we have sold and implemented more than sixty LABVANTAGE LIMS and Biobanking Solutions to a wide range of customers in Finland, Sweden Denmark, Norway and Estonia. Software Point has a dominant presence in the laboratory informatics markets of Northern Europe,” said Andrea Holmberg, CEO of Software Point.

 

“During the past ten years of cooperation we have recognized LABVANTAGE as the world’s leading LIMS provider. Their modern, web-based LIMS solution has proven to be an outstanding product. We have worked closely with the management and staff of LabVantage and we highly respect their professional skills and laboratory informatics knowledge. We are therefore delighted to become a member of the LABVANTAGE family. I am sure that the synergy between LABVANTAGE and Software Point, when utilized in product development, marketing, sales and project delivery, will contribute to the success of the organization.”