British Biotech plc and GeneSoft Inc. announced today that they have signed agreements for a broad-based collaboration to discover and develop novel anti-infective
drugs based on British Biotech's proprietary
bacterial metalloenzyme
inhibitors.
Combining British Biotech's novel targets,
chemistry and
clinical development with GeneSoft's experience in antibiotic
lead optimisation and clinical expertise, the collaboration will focus on three specific areas:
clinical development and
marketing of BB-83698, British Biotech's lead peptide deformylase (PDF) inhibitor, governed by a licence, development and commercialisation agreement;
lead optimisation and clinical development of oral PDF
inhibitors, governed by a research agreement; and
drug discovery research exploiting British Biotech's portfolio of intellectual property and expertise in respect of other microbial metalloenzyme targets, governed by a research agreement.
GeneSoft will make an initial payment to British Biotech of US$4 million. On commencement of a Phase I study of BB-83698, anticipated in October 2002, GeneSoft will pay British Biotech a further US$1 million and equity representing 3.45 per cent of GeneSoft.
"GeneSoft is delighted to partner with British Biotech to discover and develop new
antibiotics," said Gary Patou, MD, GeneSoft's President. "The medical community desperately needs new mechanism of action
antibiotics to combat multidrug resistant
bacteria. We believe that the programmes developed within British Biotech have tremendous potential to bring new antibiotics to patients."
Welcoming the agreement, British Biotech Chief Executive Dr Elliot Goldstein said: "Through this collaboration British Biotech has achieved its three key objectives of expanding the Antibiotic Programme, while sharing the costs and commercialisation rights. GeneSoft is an ideal partner for the programme. It specialises in antibiotic drug discovery and development and brings a wealth of clinical and scientific expertise in this field."
BB-83698
BB-83698 represents a new class of antibiotic and is targeted at hospitalised patients with community-acquired
pneumonia. A Phase I clinical study in healthy volunteers, to determine
safety and
pharmacokinetics of single doses of an intravenous
formulation, is expected to begin in October 2002.
Under the first part of the collaboration, British Biotech and GeneSoft have entered into an exclusive agreement to co-develop and commercialise BB-83698. The development costs will be shared equally by British Biotech and GeneSoft, as will the world-wide profits.
PDF research programme
In support of BB-83698, British Biotech and GeneSoft have entered into an exclusive research agreement, for an initial period of three years, to identify further PDF inhibitors for clinical development, including oral inhibitors for broader indications. The collaboration will allow increased resource and capabilities to be applied to the PDF programme to exploit fully the potential of this novel series of agents. British Biotech will maintain resources on this programme at current levels with GeneSoft adding resource equivalent to 170 per cent of British Biotech's. As with BB-83698, development costs and world-wide profits are shared equally.
Other metalloenzyme targets
GeneSoft will select from British Biotech's other anti-microbial metalloenzyme programmes, and determine the
research projects that it wishes to progress. British Biotech will receive undisclosed milestone and royalty payments on the successful development and commercialisation of any products from each research project.