Friday, 07 September 2007
Select Joint Ventures, Partnerships, and Alliances with Big Pharma
AstraZeneca and Schering AG in September 2006 formed a strategic alliance to develop and commercialize Schering AG's breast cancer drug. According to an AstraZeneca press release, "Under the terms of the agreement, the companies will jointly develop the novel SERD with AstraZeneca leading the clinical development and Schering leading the non-clinical and process development as well as manufacturing activities. The companies will co-promote the product in the major territories. All development and commercialisation costs and global profits will be shared equally. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed." http://www.astrazeneca.com/pressrelease/5267.aspx
AstraZeneca and Abbott – Fenofibrate (ABT-335) and CRESTOR® Fixed-Dose Combination – In August 2007 AstraZeneca and Abbott announced that they would be moving their fixed-dose combination cholesterol treatment into Phase III clinical trials. The single pill is intended to target "bad" cholesterol, "good" cholesterol, and triglycerides. According to an AstraZeneca press release, "Abbott will continue executing the clinical trial programme and be responsible for regulatory registration of the new combination therapy. AstraZeneca will hold the New Drug Application. Following successful completion of the clinical programme, a regulatory application for the new combination therapy is targeted for submission in 2009. This collaboration relates to the US market." http://www.astrazeneca.com/pressrelease/5343.aspx
AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb – have partnered to develop and commercialize two compounds to treat diabetes. These compounds, saxagliptin and dapagliflozin, are currently in development. According to the AstraZeneca press release, "The collaboration on these compounds is worldwide, except for Japan…Terms of the agreements include an upfront payment of $100 million by AstraZeneca to Bristol-Myers Squibb…Bristol-Myers Squibb may also receive additional payments of up to $650 million based on development and regulatory milestones for the two compounds. In addition, potential sales milestones up to $300 million per product are also possible." January 2007. http://www.astrazeneca.com/pressrelease/5295.aspx
Select Joint Ventures, Partnerships, and Alliances with Small Pharma
AstraZeneca and Abgenix – In October 2003 AstraZeneca made a $100 million upfront equity investment to broaden the scope of its oncology research by discovering, developing, and commercializing antibodies to treat cancer in collaboration with Abgenix. Under the terms of the agreement, Abgenix received milestone, royalty and collaboration payments. The SEC collaboration and license agreement also notes that the alliance includes a co-development component under which Abgenix will generate additional antibody product candidates that AstraZeneca will have the option to co-develop with Abgenix and that the companies will share development costs and responsibilities for any co-development candidates selected." http://sec.edgar-online.com/2004/01/28/0001047469-04-002143/Section4.asp
AstraZeneca and Astex Therapeutics – announced in July 2005 an alliance to discover, develop and commercialize compounds for use as anti-cancer agents. According to the Cancer Research Technology website, "The Collaboration and License Agreement grants AstraZeneca worldwide rights to PKB inhibitors discovered under Astex’s existing PKB drug discovery collaboration, in part funded by Cancer Research UK, with The Institute of Cancer Research and Cancer Research Technology. The Collaboration and License Agreement grants AstraZeneca worldwide rights to PKB inhibitors discovered under Astex’s existing PKB drug discovery collaboration with The Institute of Cancer Research and Cancer Research Technology. Astex and its collaboration partners will be responsible for providing drug candidates which meet pre-defined criteria to AstraZeneca which, in turn, will be responsible for progressing these candidates through development and into the market." http://www.cancertechnology.co.uk/pages/press/PressRelease27July2005AstraZenecaandAstex.html
In addition, the Astex press release notes that "Under the Agreement, AstraZeneca will provide Astex with an upfront payment of £2.75 million ($5 million), research funding, as well as milestone payments of up to £150 million ($270 million), subject to the satisfactory achievement of development, regulatory and sales targets. In addition, Astex is eligible to receive up to double-digit royalties on commercial sales of approved products. Astex also retains an option in the USA to co-promote products arising from the collaboration." http://www.astex-therapeutics.com/investorsandmedia/pressdetail.php?uid=77
AstraZeneca and Palatin – In January 2007 entered into an exclusive global licensing and research collaboration agreement to discover, develop and commercialize treatments for obesity, diabetes and related metabolic syndromes. The collaboration is based on Palatin’s pre-existing program and includes access to compound libraries, core technologies and expertise. According to a biospace.com report on Palatin's FY2007 report, "Under the terms of the agreement, Palatin received an up-front payment of $10 million from AstraZeneca and is eligible for milestone payments totaling to $300 million, with up to $180 million contingent upon development and regulatory milestones and the balance on achievement of sales targets, together with the payment of royalties on sales of approved products. AstraZeneca assumed responsibility for product commercialization, product discovery and development costs, with both companies contributing scientific expertise in the research collaboration. In addition, Palatin is providing research services to AstraZeneca at a contractual rate per full-time-equivalent employee." http://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?NewsEntityId=55806
AstraZeneca and Cambridge Antibody Technology (CAT) – In November 2004 entered into a strategic alliance to discover and develop antibody therapeutics for inflammatory disorders. AstraZeneca made a £75 million upfront equity investment (roughly 20% shareholding) in CAT to support this five-year research and development alliance. see also: http://www.astrazeneca.com/pressrelease/3878.aspx