PLAN-LES-OUATES, Switzerland—NovImmune, anantibody-focused research and development biotech company, recently entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with GenentechInc. a member of the Roche Group, for a proprietary anti-IL-17 fully human monoclonalantibody, and access to back-up antibodies.
According to the two companies, the IL-17 signalingpathway has begun to receive significant academic and corporate interest because itsmanipulation may potentially provide new treatment opportunities for majormedical conditions.
The anti-IL-17 antibody was generated by NovImmune'sresearch team and is currently in late preclinical development. Under the termsof the agreement, NovImmune will receive an upfront payment and is eligible toreceive clinical milestones and royalties on sales. Full financial terms have not been disclosed.
"We believe Genentechis the right partner for NovImmune for this program," says Jack Barbut, CEO of NovImmune. "Genentech brings anin-depth understanding of IL-17 biology and extensive experience in its abilityto potentially identify patient populations that may benefit from such acompound thus maximizing chances of successful development."
James Sabry, Vice President of GenentechPartnering, adds: "Genentech is very pleased to have the opportunity to workwith NovImmune on the development and potentialcommercialization of this anti-IL-17 antibody. We are hopeful that it has thepotential to benefit patients across a range of autoimmune diseases."
