Pfizer buys immune system specialists Coley

pharmafile | November 22, 2007 | News story | Research and Development |   

Pfizer is to acquire a company developing new drugs that fight diseases by altering the immune system.

The company is to pay $164 million for Coley, which is researching ways of boosting the power of vaccines, and targeting key immune system receptors called Toll-like receptors (TLRs).

Coley's most advanced product is VaxImmune, an adjuvant which boosts the potency of vaccines. The VaxImmune technology is being used in a forthcoming GSK phase III clinical trial in resectable stage Ib, II or IIIa non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

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But Coley also has a partnership with Pfizer on the development on a drug to target NSCLC using the TLR technology, and this link-up clearly inspired Pfizer's purchase.

"This acquisition is an important component of Pfizer's vaccine strategy and reflects our commitment to research new and more effective vaccines to prevent infectious diseases and to treat cancers and other debilitating conditions," said Pfizer's chief executive Jeffrey Kindler.

"Coley's innovative product candidate portfolio and technology have the potential to significantly enhance future vaccine and immunotherapeutic approaches to a broad range of diseases including Alzheimer's, asthma, infectious disease and oncology, where we already have strong collaborative research in place."

The acquisition boosts further Pfizer's presence in the vaccine field, which it firmly established a year ago when it bought UK specialists PowderMed.

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