Shire and Arrowhead announced drug development alliance

Shire has announced a new collaboration with Arrowhead Research Corporation to develop and commercialise new targeted peptide-drug conjugates.

The drug development partnership will utilise Arrowhead’s human-derived homing peptide platform and Shire’s therapeutic payloads, allowing for the creation of treatments for a number of rare life-altering and life-threatening conditions.

It is thought that Arrowhead's library of more than 42,000 unique targeting peptide sequences could potentially be used to deliver therapeutics to more than 30 tissue types, while avoiding non-specific uptake.

Arrowhead will be responsible for identifying peptides that selectively bind and internalise in an undisclosed tissue type and that are capable of delivering a therapeutic payload to that tissue, while Shire will have an option to obtain an exclusive license to develop and commercialise drugs based on these studies.

Dr Phil Vickers, head of research and development at Shire's human genetic therapies division, said: "This collaboration with Arrowhead is evidence of Shire’s commitment to patients with rare diseases and our intent to work with the best partners to achieve this."

Earlier this week, Shire announced that its new ADHD therapy Elvanse has received a positive opinion from the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, as part of a wider European approval process.