Lilly and Zosano to collaborate on osteoporosis drug development

Lilly has announced a new partnership with Zosano Pharma on the development of a promising new treatment for osteoporosis.

The companies will work together to develop and commercialise ZP-PTH, a proprietary formulation of parathyroid hormone 1-34 that uses Zosano's microneedle patch system for the treatment of osteoporosis patients.

Zosano has granted Lilly an exclusive worldwide license to commercialise the product, with Lilly making an equity investment in its new partner, as well as paying milestone fees and royalties based on the therapy's success.

A phase II study of ZP-PTH for the treatment of severe osteoporosis has already been completed, with plans in place to begin phase III development.

David Ricks, president of Lilly Bio-Medicines and senior vice-president of the company, said: "The treatment of osteoporosis has advanced significantly in recent years, and if approved Zosano's microneedle patch system could offer a potentially innovative way to deliver this important medicine."

This comes after Lilly and AstraZeneca commenced a pivotal clinical trial of a promising new therapy for early Alzheimer's disease earlier this week.