Company* (Country; Symbol) | University/Nonprofit@ | Type Of Agreement | Product Area | Details (Date) |
ActiveSight* | CHDI Inc. | Collaboration | To screen fragment libraries using X-ray crystallography to visualize fragments that bind to a Huntington disease target chosen by CHDI | The fragments will then be linked or grown into larger, drug-like compounds (9/18) |
Albany Molecular Research Inc. (AMRI) | Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics Inc. | Four-year research collaboration | To identify treatments that address the core defect in CF | The collaboration is worth up to $23.7M (10/4) |
Alethia Biotherapeutics Inc.* | National Research Council (Canada) | Licensing agreement | For the worldwide therapeutic and diagnostic rights to Clusterin-specific antibodies | Alethia gains access to a family of high-affinity antibodies that can prevent tumor invasion (10/3) |
Alimera Sciences Inc.* | Emory University | Exclusive worldwide agreement | To explore oxidative stress management as a treatment for ophthalmic diseases | Alimera gained an option to license a class of compounds, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate reduced form oxidase inhibitors; Emory is eligible to receive milestone payments and sales royalties (9/10) |
Alte Biosciences Inc.* | Duke University Medical Center | Exclusive rights agreement | To intellectual property developed at the university for novel therapeutics targeting late-onset depression and related disorders | The licensed technology is a patent on the relationship between cerebrovascular disease and the onset of depression in elderly individuals (10/16) |
Aureon Laboratories Inc.* | University of California, San Francisco | Research collaboration | To retrospectively analyze patient samples collected during a Phase I trial of treatment with granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor prior to radical prostatectomy | Terms were not disclosed (10/15) |
AVI BioPharma Inc. (AVII) | U.S. Department of Defense | Contract | For development of a therapeutic Neugene antisense drug targeting dengue virus infections | It is the fourth contract related to an $11M allocation for defense-related development of therapeutic antisense drugs (9/19) |
Bavarian Nordic A/S (Denmark; CSE:BAVA) | U.S. government | Extended agreement | For the request-for-proposal contract awarded in 2004 in a deal valued at $15M | The new contract period extends until 2010; Bavarian Nordic will initiate a larger Phase II study of Imvamune in people diagnosed with atopic dermatitis (10/3) |
BG Medicine Inc.* | Spinal Muscular Atrophy Foundation | Collaboration | To discover plasma biomarkers of drug efficacy for spinal muscular atrophy | The project seeks to discover a clinically useful molecular biomarker, which then could be used to monitor the efficacy of potential drugs in trials (9/18) |
Biogen Idec (BIIB) | Brain Science Institute at Johns Hopkins University | Research collaboration | To discover and develop therapies for neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's | The collaboration will focus on discovering and advancing clinical candidates from the lab into the clinic, with an emphasis on discovering new therapies for those diseases (9/24) |
Caliper Life Sciences Inc. (CALP) | National Institute of Environmental Health Services | Contract | Covering up to 10 years, at NIEHS' option, under which Caliper's unit Xenogen Biosciences will provide genetically modified mouse models for research purposes | The NIEHS will use the mouse models, including transgenic and gene knockout, to conduct research aimed at identifying and potentially preventing hazardous conditions and exposure in humans (10/3) |
CellCyte Genetics Corp. (OTC BB:CCYG) | Cleveland Clinic Foundation | Collaboration | To investigate the presence and regulation of heart receptors involved in stem cell trafficking in normal and diseased human hearts | Further terms were not disclosed (9/11) |
Cenomed BioSciences LLC (subsidiary of Abraxis BioScience Inc.*) | U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense | CRADA | To evaluate Cenomed's lead compound CM-2,501 and other associated compounds for preventing toxicities following exposure to chemical warfare agents | Financial terms were not disclosed (9/24) |
Cepheid Inc. (CPHD) | Veterans Affairs | Contracts | For the purchase of Cepheid's GeneXpert System and the Xpert MRSA test for the rapid detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus | The contracts are expected to streamline the acquisition process and ensure VA hospitals and other federal agencies can purchase the products without individual negotiations (9/19) |
CODA Genomics Inc.* | University of California at Irvine | Partnership | For research aimed at turning a common yeast strain used in the production of beer, wine and bread into a producer of ethanol | They are using CODA's gene-protein-production algorithms to tweak the genetic structure of Saccharomyces (9/5) |
CoMentis Inc.* | Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation | Collaboration | Focused on the company's Phase IIa trial of ATG3, a topical eye-drop therapy for diabetic macular edema | The study is expected to begin later this quarter (9/20) |
Elusys Therapeutics Inc.* | National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority | Contract | For advanced development of Anthim, its anthrax therapeutic | The contract is worth $12M (9/25) |
Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (NYSE:EBS) | Department of Health and Human Services | Three-year contract | To supply anthrax vaccine for the nation's biodefense stockpile | HHS is buying 18.75M doses of BioThrax for $400M, plus milestone payments (9/26) |
Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (NYSE:EBS) | National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority | Development contract | To support nonclinical and clinical studies of AIG, an anthrax product candidate | The contract is valued at up to $9.5M (9/27) |
GenVec Inc. (GNVC) | Department of Defense Military Malaria Vaccine Program at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and the Naval Medical Research Center | Collaboration | For the development and preclinical testing of a malaria vaccine candidate against Plasmodium vivax | GenVec also signed a one-year contract with DOD to construct and test the adenovector-based vaccine (9/10) |
High Throughput Genomics Inc.* | University of California | Collaboration | To generate arrays using tissue samples from mice as well as various cell lysates to evaluate genes responsible for inflammation and insuling production | The collaboration will use HTG's gNPA quantitative Nuclease Protection Assay technology (9/10) |
HUYA Bioscience International LLC* | Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences | Licensing agreement | For HBI-3000 (sulcardine), which regulates myocardial ion channels and has completed three Phase I trials | Terms were not disclosed (10/2) |
Illumina Inc. (ILMN) | Cancer Research UK | Agreement | To fund two studies designed to uncover genetic factors linked to the development of lung and ovarian cancers | Both studies initially will use Illumina's INfinium HumanHap-550 Genotyping BeadChip, followed by customized analysis using the iSelect Genotyping BeadChip (10/15) |
Inhibitex Inc. (INHX) | The University of Georgia Research Foundation | Licensing agreement | For an exclusive, worldwide license to intellectual property covering a series of HIV integrase inhibitors and other antiviral compounds | The university is entitled to an up-front license fee along with potential milestone and royalty payments (9/12) |
Intellect Neurosciences Inc. (OTC BB:ILNS) | CHDI Inc. | Agreement | Under which CHDI will assess Intellect's Oxigon as a potential therapy for Huntington disease | The company plans to begin Phase II trials of the product in Alzheimer's disease patients in 2008 (9/20) |
Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ISIS) | Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate; and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency | Contracts | To advance the detection and identification of microbial threat agents for biodefense applications | Three contracts are from Homeland Security and total up to $3.3M; the fourth contract, worth $900,000, is from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (9/20) |
Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ISIS) | National Institutes of Health | Subcontract | To aid in influenza surveillance research using the Ibis T5000 Biosensor System | Financial details were not disclosed (9/26) |
KeyGene NV* (the Netherlands) | BCCM/LMG (a Belgium research consortium) | Agreement | For a five-year, nonexclusive license to KeyGene's AFLP DNA marker technology for genome analysis, transcript profiling and genetic analysis of bacterial species | The two parties agreed to resolve issues regarding the historic use of AFLP by the BCCM organization (9/5) |
Medisyn Technologies Inc.* | Mount Sinai School of Medicine | Collaboration | To develop beta-amyloid-lowering drugs as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease | Lead compounds would be out-licensed for further clinical development; commercialization rights will be shared between MSSM and Medisyn (9/13) |
Mimotopes Pty. Ltd.* (Australia) | Baker Heart Research Institute | Licensing agreement | For jointly developed drug candidates targeting pulmonary arterial hypertension | Mimotopes has assigned the intellectual property for a library of compounds to BHRI in return for a future milestone and/or licensing fees received by BHRI (10/9) |
Nanobac Pharmaceuticals Inc. (OTC BB:NNBP) | NASA's Johnson Space Center | Agreement | Agreement for research on calcifying nanoparticles and their nature and role in pathological calcification, including the detection and treatment of the pathogen | The partners are interested in pathological calcium phosphate particles found in diseases such as kidney stones, prostatitis and arthritis, which all are conditions that accelerate in humans in a zero-gravity environment (9/18) |
Nanotherapeutics Inc.* | National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority | Contract | To develop an inhaled version of the injectable antibiotic gentamicin for pneumonic plague and tularemia | The four year contract is worth $20M (10/12) |
NetGenix Pharmaceuticals Holdings Inc.* | Universite Louis Pasteur (France) and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France) | Licensing agreement | For a family of heat-shock protein 90 inhibitors to develop for several disorders | NetGenix will hold exclusive, worldwide rights to develop and commercialize the technology for human and animal therapeutic and diagnostic use, in exchange for certain maintenance fees, milestone payments and royalties to ULP and CNRS (9/26) |
Perlegen Sciences* | Cambridge Enterprise Ltd. | Commercial license agreement | To the breast cancer markers identified through a collaboration | Perlegen will commercialize a diagnostic test and Cambridge University will share in any financial returns (10/16) |
PharmAthene Inc. (AMEX:PIP) and Medarex Inc. (MEDX) | National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority | Contract | For the advanced development of of Valortim (MDX-1303) | The contract is worth up to $13.9M; funds will support development of Valortim for use as an antitoxin therapeutic to prevent and treat inhalation anthrax infection (9/27) |
Quark Pharmaceuticals Inc.* | University of Michigan Kresge Hearing Research Institute | Collaboration | To begin preclinical studies of several new siRNA compounds for treating acute hearing loss associated with noise-induced trauma | The studies will target several different siRNA-based drug candidates that work by way of inhibition of Quark's target genes for preventing/treating acoustic trauma-induced hearing loss (9/24) |
RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals Inc. (AMEX:RGN) | University of Maryland | Partnership | To develop a pharmaceutical product specifically aimed at preventing reperfusion injury associated with cardiac ischemia | The state is contributing $100,000 of the $232,000 per year to the project at UMB, with an agreement to provide second-year funding upon successful completion of the first year's goals (9/18) |
Rosetta Genomics (Israel; ROSG) | NYU Medical Center | Collaboration | To use microRNA profiles to develop a diagnostic test for melanoma | Rosetta will screen more than 700 microRNAs to identify the right prognostic indicator test for harmful melanoma (9/7) |
Sequenom Inc. (SQNM) | Harvard University | License agreement | For a readout system technology for single DNA molecules based on simultaneous optical probing of multiple nanopores | Sequenom plans to develop a third-generation single molecule nucleic acid analysis technology; the deal includes upfront fees to Harvard, as well as potential milestone and royalty payments (9/25) |
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals Inc. (SIRT) | National Institute of Aging | CRADA | To study the effects of one of its new chemical entities on diseases of aging in mice | Diseases being evaluated include metabolic, neurological and inflammatory disorders and cancer (9/6) |
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals Inc. (SIRT) | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Licensing agreement | For the enzyme SIRTI | SIRTI is a sirtuin used as a drug target in treating metabolic, cardiovascular and neurological diseases (10/12) |
SRI International* | Defense Threat Reduction Agency | Contract | For a drug discovery and development program to identify approved drugs that could also be effective against biological threats | The contract is worth $9.5M (10/4) |
StemCells Inc. (STEM) | Universite Catholique de Louvain (Belgium) and UCL-affiliated Cliniques Universitaires Saint Luc | Research collaboration | To further the development of its human liver engrafting cells as a potential cell-based liver therapy | The parties will use UCL-ST. Luc Hospital's recently established GMP cell processing facility to optimize procedures to derive hLEC, with plans to initiate a clinical trial in children with liver-based metabolic disorders (9/26) |
SymBio Pharmaceuticals Ltd.* (Japan) | Sojo University (Japan) | Agreement | For exclusive global rights to poly(ethyleneglycol)-conjugated zinc protoporphyrin (PEG-ZnPP), a water-soluble derivative of ZnPP | The product has shown activity against Gleevec-resistant leukemia cells (9/6) |
Upstream Biosciences Inc. (OTC BB:UPBS) | Ministry of Health in Uganda | Letter of intent for a collaboration | To develop drugs for parasitic diseases | The initial focus will be on leishmaniasis and African sleeping sickness (10/15) |
VGX Pharmaceuticals Inc.* | Defense Threat Reduction Agency | Contract | To develop its constant current electroporation technology for intradermal delivery of DNA vaccines and therapeutics | VGX will demonstrate in vivo efficacy of vaccines derived from DNA plasmid-based pox virus antigens delivered using a skin micro-electroporation system (9/10) |
VIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. (VIAP) | Genome Quebec | Agreement | To fund a pharmaco-genomics sub-analysis within the company's ongoing Phase II trial of VIA-2291 in acute coronary syndrome | VIA will contribute approximately $2.6M in funding to the study, with about $200,000 of that earmarked for the pharmaco-genomics sub-analysis, while Genome Quebec and its affiliates will contribute about $2.4M (10/4) |
Virium Pharmaceuticals Inc.* | Southern Research Institute | Licensing agreement | To develop 4'-Thio-Ara-C, also known as SR9025, to develop against cancer | Southern Research will receive cash and stock in Virium (9/13) |
Notes: | ||||
This chart does not include grants or contract awards, or agreements between biotech companies and clinical trial centers. | ||||
* Denotes privately held company; ** Denotes the date the item ran in BioWorld International. @ Some institutions listed have for-profit components. They are located in the U.S. unless otherwise noted. | ||||
CRADA = Cooperative Research and Development Agreement. Unless otherwise noted, shares are traded on the Nasdaq exchange. AMEX = American Stock Exchange; CSE = Copenhagen Stock Exchange; OTC BB = Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board. |
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