Servier signs cancer partnership
pharmafile | January 29, 2014 | News story | Research and Development, Sales and Marketing | AbbVie, Servier, breast cancer, curie
Servier has extended by three years its deal with leading research group Curie-Cancer to identify therapeutic targets for treating triple-negative breast cancers.
This hard-to-treat form of the disease develops despite the absence of three receptors which often drive tumour growth: estrogen, progesterone or large amounts of HER2/neu protein.
It means that despite making up 15-20% of cases of the disease, it does not respond to some of the most effective therapies such as hormone therapy or HER2 receptors.
The parties will share what intellectual property comes out of the agreement, with Curie-Cancer – part of Institut Curie, whose breast cancer samples are used in the research – in line for royalties on any successful products.
The partnership which began in 2005, has already identified one potential target, kinase TTK/MPS1, which is an enzyme involved in cell cycle regulation. Pre-clinical development of a product which acts on this has already begun.
“Our decision to extend the partnership for a further three years was inspired by these highly encouraging results, the need to look at the other results obtained in more depth and the desire to explore other potential leads,” said Emmanuel Canet, president of R&D at Servier.
“Cancer is a key focus of research for Servier,” he added. “Servier’s research strategy includes developing research partnerships with the leading academic teams.”
Damien Salauze, director of Curie-Cancer, said: “The opportunity to help a local manufacturer to expand operations in its area of expertise is an additional source of satisfaction for the Institut Curie.”
It is an area that AbbVie is looking at too, recently beginning a Phase III trial of its investigational compound veliparib in women with early-stage, triple-negative breast cancer.
Curie-Cancer already has a similar collaboration with Roche, as well as a variety of collaborations with pharma companies, including with Sanofi on ovarian cancer.
In April last year, Curie-Cancer was among a raft of voluntary of charities and community groups sharing £3.5 million as part of a move to bring their voices into NHS decision-making.
Adam Hill
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