Wyeth - World’s Fourth Largest Biopharmaceutical Company - Builds on Commitment to Innovation in Hemophilia
MADISON, N.J., Feb. 5 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth (NYSE: WYE), and Nautilus Biotech in Evry, France, today announced the signing of a research collaboration and license agreement to discover and develop novel recombinant Factor IX proteins for the treatment of hemophilia B. These extended half-life proteins will be designed to enhance patient convenience as they will reduce the number and frequency of treatments needed.
As part of the agreement, Nautilus Biotech will apply its proprietary technology to improve the duration of action of recombinant hemophilia B therapy. The Nautilus Biotech technology makes minimal and specific changes to amino acids sequences in order to slow the breakdown of the protein in the body.
"Wyeth is continually evaluating technologies for next-generation hemophilia products that provide unique and improved features for patients. This research partnership enhances Wyeth’s presence in biopharmaceuticals and builds upon our history of innovation in hemophilia research," says Cavan Redmond, Executive Vice President and General Manager, BioPharma Business Unit at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.
Under the terms of this agreement, Wyeth will develop, manufacture and market products derived from the collaborative research. Nautilus Biotech will receive an upfront payment, research and development fees, milestone payments from Wyeth associated with development, regulatory filings and approvals, and royalty payments based on net sales of products.
"Wyeth has an impressive track record as a pioneer in developing state-of-the-art hemophilia therapies and Nautilus Biotech has a unique technology for improving protein medicines. We believe that the collaboration between Wyeth and Nautilus will offer exciting new therapeutic approaches for hemophilia," says Manuel Vega, Chief Executive Officer of Nautilus Biotech.
Hemophilia is a rare, inherited blood-clotting disorder that affects approximately 130,000 people worldwide. People with hemophilia are deficient in one of the key proteins -- either Factor VIII (hemophilia A) or Factor IX (hemophilia B) -- that are vital in the clotting cascade to prevent bleeding. Both forms of hemophilia are characterized by spontaneous hemorrhages or prolonged bleeding, typically into joints and soft tissue. Patients with hemophilia A or hemophilia B are dependent on protein replacement therapy with Factor VIII or Factor IX, respectively, for life.
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth, has leading products in the areas of women’s health care, cardiovascular disease, central nervous system, inflammation, transplantation, hemophilia, oncology, vaccines and nutritional products. Wyeth is one of the world’s largest research-driven pharmaceutical and health care products companies. It is a leader in the discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, biotechnology products and non-prescription medicines that improve the quality of life for people worldwide. The Company’s major divisions include Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Wyeth Consumer Healthcare and Fort Dodge Animal Health.
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