AstraZeneca announces a strategic collaboration in respiratory diseases with Pieris Pharmaceuticals to develop novel inhaled drugs that leverage Pieris’ Anticalin platform.
Under the collaboration, Pieris will be responsible for advancing its preclinical lead candidate, PRS-060 into Phase I clinical trials in 2017. PRS-060 is an Anticalin against interleukin-4 receptor alpha (IL-4Ra) with potential in asthma. AstraZeneca will fund all clinical development and subsequent commercialisation programmes and Pieris has the option of co-development and co-commercialisation in the US from Phase IIa onwards. In addition, the parties will collaborate to progress four additional novel Anticalins against undisclosed targets for respiratory disease.
“Our alliance with Pieris adds an important new modality to our respiratory portfolio and builds on our scientific expertise in inhaled formulation technologies. Pieris shares our passion for ground-breaking science and we look forward to working together to develop new, life-changing treatment options for patients,” says Mene Pangalos, Executive Vice President, Innovative Medicines and Early Development Biotech Unit and Business Development at AstraZeneca.
AstraZeneca will make upfront and near-term milestone payments to Pieris in the amount of $57.5 million. Pieris has the potential to receive development-dependent milestones and eventual commercial payments for all products not exceeding $2.1 billion as well as tiered royalties on the sales of any potential products commercialised by AstraZeneca.
