April 19 /PRNewswire/ -- MedImmune, Inc. (Nasdaq: MEDI - news) and Genaera Corporation (Nasdaq: GENR - news), today announced that they have entered into a research collaboration and a worldwide exclusive licensing agreement to develop and commercialize antibodies or recombinant molecules against IL-9 to prevent symptoms of asthma and other respiratory diseases. As part of the research agreement, the companies will collaborate on the creation of specific assays and respiratory disease models for use in assessing product candidates developed by MedImmune. MedImmune will be responsible for development, manufacturing, clinical testing, and marketing of any resulting product.
``We have been interested in Genaera's IL-9 program for quite some time,'' said James F. Young, Ph.D., MedImmune's president, research and development. ``It is just the sort of novel program that fits strategically well with our strengths in antibody development and manufacturing, as well as our expertise in developing products targeting respiratory illness. We are very excited to add yet another large market opportunity to our research pipeline.''
IL-9 is implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma and may contribute to other respiratory disorders including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cystic fibrosis. Biopsies from asthmatic patients have shown an increase in expression of IL-9 as compared to healthy individuals. Published findings, highlighting the central role of IL-9 in asthma, demonstrate its contribution to certain clinical features including bronchial hyper- responsiveness, mucin production and eosinophil up-regulation in animal models and in patients. The companies believe that either the systemic or topical delivery of an anti-IL-9 product to the lung will block the interaction of IL- 9 with its receptor. In turn, the response in the lung that mediates these clinical features may be reduced or eliminated, providing a novel approach to prophylaxis or treatment for asthma.
Under the agreement, MedImmune will fund over the first two years of the plan at least $2.5 million for certain research and development activities at Genaera. Genaera could receive up to $55 million in milestone payments, plus royalties on any product resulting from the agreement. MedImmune will also purchase at the closing of a related stock purchase agreement $10 million in Genaera convertible preferred stock... |
