AstraZeneca and Bicycle Therapeutics expand collaboration to develop new respiratory and cardio-metabolic drug

AZ entered an agreement 18 months ago with Bicycle Therapeutics to use their bicyclic peptide platform to develop drugs against multiple disease areas. Additional disease areas have now been included in the deal which increases the total value of the deal. However details of the disease areas and the finances involved are yet to be divulged.
According to Bicycle Therapeutics, bicyclic peptides or ‘bicycles’ have the targeting power of monoclonal antibodies but behave more like small molecules in their solubility and ability to penetrate tissues and be delivered at specific doses, as well as their ease of manufacture. They are also cleared from the body via the kidneys, which bypasses problems associated with drugs that are metabolised via the liver. Of the extended deal, CEO Kevin Lee said: “This valuable collaboration increases our ability to explore and deliver on the therapeutic potential of bicycles outside oncology, our core area of focus.” It gives them a revenue stream, allowing them to expand their focus beyond their current focus of cancer – BT1718 for solid tumours, which is in a Cancer Research UK-backed trial that started dosing patients in February.