Wyeth signs research and licence agreement with UK company

Wyeth has entered into a research and licensing agreement with Biotica, a privately-held technology company based in Cambridge.

The companies will research and develop novel rapamycin analogues to target many different disease areas.

Biotica says the new partnership will be based on using its biosynthetic engineering technology that uses natural products to create compounds “not readily accessible” using synthetic chemistry.

Additionally, Wyeth will look to expand on its current range of rapamycin-based drugs, including Rapamune and temsirolimus, a cancer treatment in late-stage clinical trials.

Under the terms of the agreement, Biotica will receive an upfront payment, as well as research support payments and milestone fees. These could reach $195 million (104 million pounds) in total, assuming multiple products receive regulatory approval and are launched. In this case, Biotica would also be eligible to receive milestone fees.

Dr Mark Bodmer, Biotica’s chief executive, commented: “Wyeth is our ideal partner for this collaboration because of its leadership in the discovery, development and commercialization of this class of molecules.”

Dr Frank Walsh, executive vice-president and head of discovery research at Wyeth, added that his company sees the partnership as an “excellent strategic fit” with its existing rapamycin franchise.

Rapamycin was first found in Streptomyces hygroscopicus, a bacteria discovered on Easter Island. The compound’s nomenclature derives from Rapa Nui, the native name for Easter Island.