« Return to News | R&D Trends

VentiRx, Celgene collaborate on novel TLR8 agonist VTX-2337 for cancer

Thursday, October 4, 2012 11:03 AM

VentiRx Pharmaceuticals, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on novel Toll-like receptor 8 (TLR8) agonists and antagonists, has formed an exclusive, world-wide collaboration with Celgene, an integrated global biopharmaceutical company, for the development of VTX-2337, a highly potent and selective TLR8 agonist for the treatment of cancer.

Celgene will provide a $35 million upfront payment to fund further research and development of VTX-2337 through pre-defined clinical endpoints. During the option period, VentiRx will be eligible to receive additional funding, including a potential equity investment by Celgene. As part of the strategic agreement, Celgene will retain the exclusive option to acquire VentiRx.

"We are excited to have the support of Celgene to advance our development efforts and optimize the potential of VTX-2337 as a novel immunotherapy that augments current treatment regimens," said Robert Hershberg, CEO of VentiRx. "We have made significant progress to date in preclinical and clinical studies, and this collaboration reflects both the promise of VTX-2337 and the commitment by Celgene to pursue innovation in cancer therapeutics."

Thomas Daniel, president of research and early development, Celgene, added, "We are enthusiastic about the emerging potential for cancer immunotherapy in general, and view the VentiRx candidate, VTX-2337 as quite promising. We look forward to clinical data in combination therapy that would position this candidate drug into a strategic position in our pipeline."

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.