Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Heptares Therapeutics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sosei Group Corporation, have formed a licensing and drug-discovery agreement under which Teva will receive exclusive global rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize novel, small-molecule calcitonin gene-related peptide antagonists discovered by Heptares for the treatment of migraines in a deal valued up to $410 million.

Under the agreement, Heptares will receive an upfront payment of $10 million, research funding, and is eligible to receive additional research, development and commercialization milestone payments of up to $400 million. In addition, Heptares will be eligible to receive royalties on net sales of products resulting from the alliance.

Heptares is a clinical-stage company developing medicines based on G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), a superfamily of 375 receptors linked to a wide range of human diseases. Heptares proprietary structure-based drug design technology enables drugs to be engineered for highly validated, yet historically undruggable or challenging, GPCRs. Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is released during migraine attacks and can trigger migraine in patients. CGRP is found in small to medium-sized neurons in the trigeminal ganglion and mediates its activity through G protein-coupled receptors located throughout the body. Elevated levels of CGRP are found in migraineurs during an attack and blocking CGRP activity is a validated mechanism of action for relieving pain, and also for preventing migraine.

Source: Teva Pharmaceutical Industries