Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth (NYSE: WYE), and Nautilus Biotech in Evry, France, today announced the signing of a research collaboration and license agreement to discover and develop novel recombinant Factor IX proteins for the treatment of hemophilia B.
These extended half-life proteins will be designed to enhance patient convenience as they will reduce the number and frequency of treatments needed.
As part of the agreement, Nautilus Biotech will apply its proprietary technology to improve the duration of action of recombinant hemophilia B therapy. The Nautilus Biotech technology makes minimal and specific changes to amino acids sequences in order to slow the breakdown of the protein in the body.
“Wyeth is continually evaluating technologies for next-generation hemophilia products that provide unique and improved features for patients. This research partnership enhances Wyeth’s presence in biopharmaceuticals and builds upon our history of innovation in hemophilia research,” says Cavan Redmond, Executive Vice President and General Manager, BioPharma Business Unit at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.
Under the terms of this agreement, Wyeth will develop, manufacture and market products derived from the collaborative research. Nautilus Biotech will receive an upfront payment, research and development fees, milestone payments from Wyeth associated with development, regulatory filings and approvals, and royalty payments based on net sales of products.
“Wyeth has an impressive track record as a pioneer in developing state-of- the-art hemophilia therapies and Nautilus Biotech has a unique technology for improving protein medicines. We believe that the collaboration between Wyeth and Nautilus will offer exciting new therapeutic approaches for hemophilia,” says Manuel Vega, Chief Executive Officer of Nautilus Biotech.