Roche and biotech swap roles in novel collaboration
pharmafile | January 24, 2006 | News story | Research and Development |
Roche and Amira Pharmaceuticals have entered into a new and unorthodox drug discovery and development partnership which will see them reverse the usual roles of pharma and biotech.
Most pharma-biotech collaborations are based on pharma companies in-licensing promising molecules from biotech companies, but the new partnership will see Roche pass over potential new drugs for Amira to develop.
Roche will use its screening capabilities to investigate three mutually agreed targets in inflammatory diseases, and will then pass the lead compounds generated to Amira for the biotech company to optimise. Roche will have opt-in rights on two of those compounds, worth up to $287 million, plus royalties if exercised.
Amira is a start-up company specialising in inflammatory diseases and is funded by investors that include Avalon Ventures, Prospect Ventures and Versant Ventures. Roche says the alliance complements its broad research efforts in inflammation and provides the company with access to innovative external resources in a strategic therapy area.
"In the past, we referred to a 'win-win' alliance between pharma and biotech partners," said Peter Hug, Roche's global head of pharma partnering. Through this new model, we have created a 'win-win-win' deal structure where three main players, Roche, Amira and the venture community, are all benefiting from a joint effort to develop potential new medicines for patients."
Under a separate agreement, Amira will have a one-year option to license for specific indications two of Roche's existing clinical stage programmes. If the biotech exercises its option, Roche may receive a significant percentage of Amira's stock, up to $20 million in development payments, plus royalties.
The alliance helps both companies leverage their experience in inflammation. Roche has research programmes in inflammation, autoimmune disease and transplant, including studies on small molecules and biologics targeting B cells and inflammatory cytokines.
Founded in 2005, Amira Pharmaceuticals' chief scientific officer and vice-presidents of chemistry and biology all have experience from Merck, where their achievements include Vioxx, Singulair and the 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein (FLAP) inhibitor MK591.
In-licensing and other R&D collaborations are an increasingly important element for all major pharma companies, and Roche recognised its central role by giving Hug a place on the company board in January 2005.
Roche has forged a number of innovative deals in recent years, including with UK's Antisoma in 2002, in which it paid $43 million to have optioning rights on the biotech company's entire portfolio until 2007.
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