US and French healthcare companies agree to jointly develop and commercialize h224G11, a pre-clinical monoclonal antibody…
By Militza Richard
U.S. pharmaceutical company Abbot (NYSE:ABT) today announced an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with Pierre Fabre SA , the second largest independent French Pharmaceutical company, to develop and market the pre-clinical monoclonal antibody h224G11.
Abbot will lead the development and commercialization of monoclonal antibodies targeting the cMet receptor, while Pierre Fabre SA will receive an initial $25 million upfront payment and research funding to support further discovery efforts for two years.
The h224G11 antibody, which was identified at the Centre d'Immunologie Pierre Fabre (CIPF) in France, fights cancer by targeting the cMet receptor. cMet protein influences the progression of several solid tumors including, prostate, lung and gastric cancers and mediates resistance to chemotherapy.
"cMet is a compelling cancer target and the early research on this compound looks promising," John Leonard, M.D., senior vice president, global research and development, Abbott. "We look forward to adding to our strong oncology pipeline, which includes exploration of multiple mechanisms to treat cancer."
H224G11 binds to the cMet protein and interrupts its signaling pathway. This prevents the tumor from growing and leads to cancer cell death. The antibody also inhibits cancer cell migration and angiogenesis.
"Using the strengths of its dedicated research team in biotechnology, Pierre Fabre SA has been able to develop potent and protein specific inhibitors of the cMet receptor. We are delighted to partner this important asset with Abbott scientists," declared Jean-Pierre Garnier, Chief Executive Officer of Pierre Fabre SA.
Edited by Sarah Wolfe