Array BioPharma, Asahi Kasei Pharma Partner
Array BioPharma Inc. and Asahi Kasei Pharma Corporation have formed a strategic collaboration to develop and commercialize select Tropomyosin receptor kinase A (TrkA) inhibitors, including Array-invented ARRY-954, for pain, inflammation, and other non-cancer indications. Array retains the right for all compounds for all indications outside of Asia. Within Asia, Array retains the right to cancer indications for all compounds, excluding those compounds being developed by Asahi Kasei Pharma, including ARRY-954.
Under the terms of the agreement, Array will receive an upfront payment of $12 million, is entitled to receive up to $64 million if certain development and commercialization milestones are achieved, and is eligible for up double-digit royalties. Asahi Kasei Pharma will have exclusive rights to develop and commercialize products in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China for pain, inflammation, and other non-cancer indications.
ARRY-954 is a potent, orally available, small0molecule inhibitor of TrkA. Owing to its allosteric mechanism of TrkA inhibition, ARRY-954 achieves very high levels of selectivity over other members of the Trk kinase family as well as other off-target kinases. In preclinical studies, ARRY-954 has demonstrated inhibition of peripheral pain responses in a variety of in vivo models representing difficult to treat human pain conditions, according to information from Array BioPharma.
Source: Array BioPharma