Biologics discovery company Five Prime Therapeutics has announced a deal with GlaxoSmithKline giving GSK “exclusive access to FivePrime’s drug discovery platforms in up to six programs to identify first-in-class agents and new mechanisms relevant to refractory asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).” This is the second discovery deal between the two companies.
The deal gives GSK the right to exclusive licences to any of the targets identified by FivePrime, some of which FivePrime would advance through early clinical studies, others of which GSK would take responsibility for at the preclinical stage. GSK could pay FivePrime up to $30 million total over the next four years for the research program plus up to $193.5 million in fees, payments, and royalties for each drug target licensed.
FivePrime Founder, President, and CEO Lewis T. “Rusty” Williams said, “We are delighted to form this second strategic alliance with GSK to find first-in-class drugs and drug targets for treatment-refractory respiratory diseases, which is a core area for FivePrime. GSK is a leader in the research and development of respiratory products and brings tremendous expertise to the collaboration. Our existing GSK alliance to discover products for skeletal muscle disorders, which was recently expanded last year, is making great progress, so we are extremely pleased to enter into this additional collaboration.”
Read the FivePrime press release.
