Deals and Alliances

The Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) (San Diego, CA, www.nhrc.navy.mil) has signed an agreement with Arbor Vita Corporation (Sunnyvale, CA, www.arborvita.com) to speed the development of a rapid influenza diagnostic based on Arbor Vita’s proprietary PDZ technology. PDZs are proteins that organize and regulate signaling pathways in human cells that may be useful for both therapeutics and diagnostics. Under the terms of the cooperative research and development agreement, NHRC’s influenza sample archive will be used to validate Arbor Vita’s rapid flu diagnostic under government pandemic preparedness and avian influenza directives.

Nastech Pharmaceutical Company Inc. (Bothell, WA, www.nastech.com) has signed an agreement with Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (San Diego, CA, www.amylin.com) to develop a nasal formulation of exenatide, an agent used to treat type 2 diabetes. The companies will jointly develop the nasal spray formulation using Nastech’s proprietary nasal delivery technology, and Amylin will reimburse Nastech for any development activities performed by Nastech, per the terms of the agreement. Amylin has assumed overall responsibility for the development program, while Nastech will concentrate its efforts on drug delivery, chemistry, manufacturing, and controls activities.

A strategic agreement has been formed between Metabolex Inc. (Hayward, CA, www.metabolex.com) and Ortho-McNeil Inc. (Raritan, NJ, www.ortho-mcneil.com) to develop and commercialize multiple treatments for metabolic diseases. Specific diseases to be covered under the terms of this agreement include type 2 diabetes, obesity, and dyslipidemia; the agreement fosters development of Metabolex’s metaglidasen and MBX-2044 compounds, as well as other compounds that Ortho-McNeil has obtained exclusive worldwide rights to develop. Terms of the agreement also include a target collaboration in which both companies will work together to screen metabolic disease targets identified by Metabolex.