Pentose, Vitex to Combine Antiviral Technology and Plasma Products
Pentose Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Cambridge, MA) and V.I. Technologies, Inc. (Vitex; Melville, NY) signed a development, manufacture and license agreement to combine technologies to enhance viral elimination from pooled transfusion plasma products. The collaboration will focus on applying Pentose's Inactine antiviral technology to Vitex's Plas+SD plasma product as a second inactivation step that will broaden the spectrum of viral elimination to include non-enveloped viruses.
Under the terms of the agreement, Vitex is evaluating the potential of utilizing Inactine with Plas+SD. Based on the results of these studies, the two companies will initiate collaborative development of Inactine-treated Plas+SD. Over the course of the collaboration, dependent on successful achievement of certain milestones, Pentose could receive up to $12 million in upfront cash, equity and milestone payments, plus royalties on any future sales. In exchange, Vitex will obtain exclusive rights in North America and, contingent on certain events, non-exclusive rights in the rest of the world to use Inactine in combination with solvent detergent for treating pooled transfusion plasma. To date, Vitex has paid Pentose an upfront cash payment and a milestone payment tied to achieving certain scientific objectives.
There continues to be a compelling need for reliable viral inactivation technology to ensure the safety of blood and blood products. Individuals exposed to blood and plasma, including patients and healthcare professionals, are at risk for infection from viral contamination. The risk is based on both known pathogens that may escape detection, and emerging viruses for which screening tests have yet to be developed. Every year, more than nine million units of donated plasma are transfused into patients worldwide.
VITEX is a developer and manufacturer of blood products.
Pentose Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a privately-held biopharmaceutical company.
For more information: Martin D. Williams, VP of Business Development, Pentose Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 45 Moulton Street, Cambridge, MA 02138. Tel: 617-864-4800, ext. 316. Also: John Barr, President and CEO, V.I. Technologies, 155 Duryea Rd., Melville, NY 11747. Tel: 516-752-7314. Fax: 516-752-8768.