Vifor Pharma, a company of the Galenica Group, and ChemoCentryx have announced the expansion of their existing kidney health alliance to include the development and commercialization of CCX140, an orally-administered inhibitor of the chemokine receptor known as CCR2, for renal diseases. CCX140 has previously completed a successful phase II clinical trial in patients with diabetic kidney disease.

The alliance will initially focus on the joint development of CCX140 in rare kidney diseases, with Vifor Pharma retaining an option to solely develop and commercialize CCX140 in more prevalent forms of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Under the agreement, ChemoCentryx retains marketing rights for rare renal disease in the U.S. and China, while Vifor Pharma has commercialization rights in the rest of the world.

In May 2016, the two companies announced that Vifor Pharma had licensed rights to commercialize CCX168 (international nonproprietary name: avacopan), a Complement 5a Receptor (C5aR) inhibitor ready for Phase III development for orphan and rare renal diseases, in Europe, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America and South Korea.

“Expanding our kidney health alliance with Vifor Pharma to include CCX140 is an important step in our vision to establish ChemoCentryx as a leader in new medicines for rare renal diseases,” said Thomas J. Schall, Ph.D., president and CEO of ChemoCentryx. “We and Vifor Pharma believe that CCX140 has the potential to address life threatening renal diseases for which there are currently very limited treatment options. Building upon the extremely productive relationship with our partner so far, we very much look forward to expanding that relationship with this unique clinical asset.”

"The expansion of our partnership with ChemoCentryx demonstrates Vifor Pharma’s commitment to remain at the forefront of new treatments for patients with renal diseases,” said Gianni Zampieri, CEO of Vifor Pharma. “CCX140 is a highly innovative approach, which is implicated in a number of kidney diseases, including diabetic nephropathy. We look forward to working with ChemoCentryx to develop both CCX140 and the C5aR inhibitor avacopan as potential new treatment options for patients suffering from serious kidney diseases.”

Under the terms of the agreement, ChemoCentryx will receive an upfront cash payment of USD 50 million. In addition, ChemoCentryx will be eligible to receive additional payments upon the achievement of certain development, regulatory and sales-based milestones, as well as tiered double-digit royalties on net sales of CCX140 in the licensed territories.

ChemoCentryx will be responsible for the clinical development of CCX140 in rare renal diseases, while sharing the cost of such development with Vifor Pharma. Should Vifor Pharma later exercise the CKD option, Vifor Pharma would then be responsible for all development and would receive worldwide rights to CCX140, while ChemoCentryx would receive co-promotion rights in CKD in the U.S.