Pfizer and Wave Life Sciences collaborate on drug research

Pfizer has announced a new collaboration with Wave Life Sciences on the development of new metabolic disease therapies.

The research, license and option agreement will focus on the creation of nucleic acid therapies aimed at silencing the underlying causes of metabolic disease, looking at genetically defined targets.

Wave will leverage its proprietary stereopure drug development platform across antisense and RNAi modalities, along with GalNAc, while Pfizer's hepatic targeting technology for enhanced delivery to the liver will also be utilised in the work.

Under the terms of the deal, Wave will advance up to five programmes from discovery through to the selection of clinical candidates, at which point Pfizer may elect to exclusively license the programs and undertake further development and potential commercialisation.

Two targets have already been declared, with Wave also receiving rights to Pfizer's hepatic targeting technology, which Wave can use for hepatic programs beyond the collaboration.

Dr Morris Birnbaum, senior vice-president and chief scientific officer for Pfizer's cardiovascular and metabolic research unit, said: "Our collaboration with Wave represents Pfizer's commitment to embracing the most modern technologies as therapeutic modalities in our core areas of focus, which we feel will make a significant difference for patients in need."