Molecular Partners regains rights to multi-DARPin® drug candidate targeting IL-13 & IL-17 for pulmonary indications from Janssen Donnerstag, 06. Oktober 2016 - 07:25
MEDIA RELEASE
Molecular Partners regains rights to multi-DARPin® drug candidate targeting IL-13 & IL-17 for pulmonary indications from Janssen
Zurich‐Schlieren, October 6, 2016. Molecular Partners AG (SIX: MOLN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that is developing a powerful new class of therapies known as DARPin® therapies, regained the full rights to a multi-DARPin® drug candidate targeting both IL-13 and IL-17 with long systemic half-life and potential use in pulmonary indications following the discontinuation of a Collaboration and License Agreement entered into with Janssen Biotech, Inc. (Janssen) in 2011.
Under the collaboration, Molecular Partners and Janssen and generated a multi-DARPin® drug candidate that is ready to enter into preclinical development. The research and development costs of this drug candidate were supported by Janssen.
“We are proud to have successfully applied our DARPin® platform to generate this highly differentiated multi-DARPin® drug candidate for Janssen, and respect their strategic decision not related to the DARPin® drug candidate. Molecular Partners will thoroughly evaluate if this drug candidate should be added to our proprietary pipeline, partnered or discontinued,” said Dr. Christian Zahnd, Chief Executive Officer of Molecular Partners.
The termination of the collaboration with Janssen in immunology does not impact Molecular Partners‘ strategy. Molecular Partners is progressing programs in ophthalmology in partnership with Allergan and in oncology with a proprietary pipeline of DARPin® drug candidates. The most advanced programs are Abicipar currently in phase 3 and MP0250 which is moving into phase 2 clinical studies in hematological malignancies.
