CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Hydra Biosciences has announced an agreementwith
Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc. for a joint collaboration todevelop novel ion channel drugs.
The deal focuses on Hydra's research and development programfor ion channel compounds that target the TRPA1 receptor, which is believed tohave an important role in pain management.
Under the terms of the agreement, Hydra receives an upfrontpayment of $5 million from Cubist. The agreement allows for Cubist to supportHydra`s internal development on the TRPA1 program by providing $5M in researchand development funding per year for two years, with an option to renew. Thejoint development program will build on the existing R&D base of Hydra`sTRPA1 compounds, preclinical data, and pharmacology studies. As thecollaboration progresses into potential future stages, Hydra is eligible for potentialdevelopment milestones and royalties on products produced from the jointprogram. The goal of the program is to identify TRPA1 drug candidates for useas acute care therapeutics for the management of pain.
"As we continue to build an acute care pipeline, we areexcited to develop a partnership with Hydra that provides us access to a novelplatform for developing acute care therapeutics for the management ofpain," says Steven Gilman, Ph.D., chief scientific officer of CubistPharmaceuticals.
