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GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has created a strategic alliance with Archemix to market aptamer therapeutics used to treat inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.
GSK will pay Archemix £18.5m up front and a possible £135m for future discoveries and tiered royalties on world-wide sales of products that may come out of the partnership.
Aptamers are synthetised oligonucleotides – short nucleic acid sequences that bind to proteins. Archemix will produce them while GSK assumes an exclusive worldwide license to develop and market them.
Archemix boss Errol DeSouza said: “We are very excited about this collaboration with GSK. GSK is an outstanding partner with leadership and expertise in inflammation, and we look forward to expanding our efforts in inflammation where aptamers could offer novel options to treat disease.
“This is another step forward in our strategy to leverage our intellectual property estate, together with our significant internal capabilities in order to develop aptamers for a variety of therapeutic areas with key partners who are experts in their field.”
Copyright Press Association 2008
