« Return to News | R&D Trends | Drug Sponsors

Epizyme collaborates with Eisai

Thursday, March 10, 2011 01:45 PM

Just weeks after GlaxoSmithKline committed up to $650 million in its epigenetics pact with Cambridge, Mass.-based Epizyme, Japan's Eisai has joined the promising discovery platform with a $206 million collaboration of its own, according to Fierce Biotech.

Like most discovery deals, it starts small—with a $6 million upfront payment—while holding out $200 million at the back end as the two companies target EZH2, an epigenetic enzyme, for the treatment of lymphoma and other cancers in genetically-defined patients.

"Eisai is committed to bringing epigenetic therapeutics to cancer patients," said Takashi Owa, president of the oncology product creation unit at Eisai Product Creation Systems. "Epizyme's proprietary product platform, leadership in determining the oncogenic role of EZH2 in genetically-defined cancers, and success in discovering novel, potent and selective small molecule inhibitors of histone methyltransferases (HMTs), an important epigenetic target class, led us to them as the partner of choice in epigenetic drug discovery." 

Eisai will fund 100% of R&D through human proof-of-concept, at which point Epizyme has the right to opt into a profit share and co-commercialization arrangement for the U.S.

Robert Gould, Epizyme CEO, said the "U.S. profit share and co-commercialization option is a key element of our strategy to discover, develop and also to commercialize epigenetic medicines.”

Share:          
CLINICAL TRIAL RESOURCES

Search:

NEWS ONLINE ARCHIVE

Browse by:

CWWeekly

September 30

Novartis-Walgreens pilot study blurring the line between retail pharmacy, investigative site

CISCRP to launch traveling science museum exhibit to demystify clinical trial participation

Already a subscriber?
Log in to your digital subscription.

Subscribe to CWWeekly.

The CenterWatch Monthly

October

New growth and decline in Asia clinical trials
South Korea, Japan, China see big growth in 1572s, while India posts huge drop

Harnessing Big Data to transform clinical trials
From protocol to patient recruiting, data analytics can yield valuable insights

Already a subscriber?
Log in to your digital subscription.

Purchase the October issue.

Subscribe to
The CenterWatch Monthly.

The CenterWatch Monthly

September

Sponsors look to collaborate on comparator drugs
Co-therapies, comparators are in 60% of studies, cost $25m per company a year

Early adopters implement risk-based monitoring pilot programs
Experiments aim to offer long-term solutions, despite short-term uncertainties

Already a subscriber?
Log in to your digital subscription.

Purchase the September issue.

Subscribe to
The CenterWatch Monthly.

JobWatch centerwatch.com/jobwatch

Featured Jobs

More Jobs

 

Copyright © 1995-2013 CenterWatch.