Lilly licenses osteoarthritis therapy to Transition Therapeutics

Lilly and Transition Therapeutics have agreed a licensing deal for a novel small molecule transcriptional regulator for the treatment of osteoarthritis pain.

Under the terms of the agreement, Transition gains the rights to develop and potentially commercialise TT-601, though Lilly retains an option to reacquire these rights following a review of clinical proof-of-concept study results.

TT-601 is a potent and selective ligand for a novel nuclear receptor target, the activity of which can potentially be modulated to provide significant pain relief benefits for patients who are not responding to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Preclinical development for the compound has been completed and Transition hopes to commence clinical trials in the first half of 2014.

Dr Tony Cruz, chairman and chief executive officer of Transition, said: "Molecules in this novel class have shown target engagement in the joint space and efficacy in multiple animal models of joint pain."

This comes after Lilly reported positive clinical trial data for its erectile dysfunction therapy Cialis earlier this month.