SIBIA to end research pact with Lilly
LA JOLLA, Calif., Aug 11 (Reuter) - SIBIA Neurosciences Inc said Monday that it will terminate its collaborative research on
neuronal voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCC) with Eli Lilly and Co (LLY) by the end of October.
The financial impact from the end of the collaboration, said the company, will be minimal.
SIBIA said the two companies will now independently pursue discovery and development of drug leads that act on VGCC
drug targets. SIBIA already has six patents issued, seven allowed and 14 pending in this area.
It added that it will also receive milestone payments and royalties on products commercialized by Lilly.
SIBIA is engaged in the discovery and development of novel, small molecule therapeutics for nervous system disorders, such
as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and stroke.
On balance I'd say the Lilly termination is not as great as continuation would be. It leaves SIBI holding whatever they've been able to come up with in terms of advancing their research capabilities and perhaps having some leads worth following up, but the circumstantial evidence would be that it didn't seem worth continuing to Lilly--either that or they couldn't come to terms and are continuing the research independently. I would tend to agree that the focus will be on the other programs, which I think have considerable potential.
One area I'm intrigued by is the exchange of technology with Aurora Biosciences. Apparently, SIBI got their hands on some very sophisticated fluorescent analysis technology that should enhance their overall screening program. I think SIBI is setting itself up to become a powerful research company with many promising avenues. (I'm a big fan of the snail venom research myself). As time goes along, they should be able to handle more of the research on their own. Meanwhile, the big partners are definitely important.
Baird |
