>>SAN CARLOS, Calif. & YARDLEY, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 26, 2002--Inhale Therapeutic Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:INHL - news) and 3-Dimensional Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:DDDP - news) today announced a collaborative initiative to use Inhale's proprietary PEGylation technology for 3DP's synthetic thrombopoietin (TPO) mimetic compound (3DP-3534), currently in pre-clinical development for the prevention and treatment of low blood platelet count. Under this agreement, Inhale will supply PEGylation technology, enabling 3DP to synthesize 3DP-3534 which is a PEGylated peptide. 3DP will pay Inhale an upfront fee, milestone payments, manufacturing revenues, and royalties on product sales.
Thrombocytopenia, commonly known as low blood platelet count, is a disease that can prolong blood clotting times, increase the risk of bruising, and, in severe cases, cause internal hemorrhaging. Standard treatment for thrombocytopenia currently is platelet transfusion. About one third of the two million annual procedures in the United States are performed on cancer patients whose platelet count is impaired by chemotherapy, while the remainder are performed on patients with a variety of conditions including HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B and C.
3DP-3534, being developed as a possible therapy to reduce the severity of thrombocytopenia, is a synthetic thrombopoietin (TPO) mimetic that stimulates the human body to increase its production of blood platelets, reducing the need for transfusions. Inhale's PEGylation technology will contribute to the therapeutic potential of 3DP's compound by increasing circulation time in the bloodstream and reducing unwanted recognition by the immune system.
``We are pleased to be collaborating with 3DP to improve the performance and delivery of its TPO mimetic and address a significant medical need. We believe PEGylation potentially could decrease antibody formation and reduce dosing frequency,'' said Ajit Gill, president and chief executive officer of Inhale. ``This collaboration is another validation of the use of PEGylation as the industry standard method for enabling improved performance of macromolecules.''
``Inhale brings leading PEGylation technology and expertise required to develop this product,'' said David U'Prichard, Ph.D., chief executive officer of 3DP. ``3DP is committed to developing oncology therapeutics, and we are initially focusing this program on the development of therapies for thrombocytopenia in cancer patients undergoing certain chemotherapy treatments.''<<
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Unclear to me if this is an application of Enzon's PEG technology licensed to INHL. INHL announced three other such deals today, and Enzon promptly announced that two of them used their technology that INHL was sublicensing. This wasn't one of them, so presumably the PEGging for DDDP comes from INHL's Shearwater division.
But Miljenko, what on earth is "manufacturing revenue?"
Cheers, Tuck |
