Roche and Upsher-Smith to develop inflammatory disease therapy

Roche has announced a new drug development collaboration with Upsher-Smith Laboratories through its wholly-owned UK subsidiary Proximagen.

The worldwide agreement pertains to the further development of a novel oral small molecule inhibitor of vascular adhesion protein 1 (VAP-1), a cell-adhesion molecule that may be effective in the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

Roche will gain a worldwide exclusive license to develop and commercialise the compound, with Roche and Proximagen to conduct phase II studies to further define the drug's therapeutic potential.

Based on this data, Roche will assume responsibility for late-stage development and worldwide commercialisation, in exchange for an upfront payment and milestone-based fees paid to Proximagen.

Dr Sophie Kornowski-Bonnet, head of Roche Partnering, said: "This agreement is a novel partnering model where regulatory responsibility and trial sponsorship will only transition upon the success of additional clinical studies."

The company announced last month that it will be restructuring its manufacturing network for small molecules in order to reflect its strategic shift to focusing on the next generation of medicines.