Sanofi-Aventis And Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Sign License Agreement
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals S.A (GPSA), a wholly owned subsidiary of Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Limited India (GPL), announced recently that it has entered into an agreement with Sanofi-aventis to grant Sanofi-Aventis a license for the development and commercialization of novel agents to treat chronic pain.
Those agents are vanilloid receptor (TRPV3) antagonist molecules, including a first-in-class clinical compound, GRC 15300. GRC 15300 is currently in Phase I clinical development as a potential next-generation treatment for various pain conditions, including diabetic neuropathic pain and osteoarthritic pain.
Under the terms of the agreement, Glenmark will receive an upfront payment of US $ 20 million, as well as development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments. All such payments could reach a total of U.S. $ 325M. In addition, Glenmark is eligible to receive tiered double-digit royalties on sales of products commercialized under the license. Sanofi-aventis will have exclusive marketing rights for North America, European Union and Japan subject to Glenmark's right to co-promote the products in the United States and five Eastern European countries. Sanofi- aventis will also have co-marketing rights in 10 other countries including Brazil, Russia, and China, whereas Glenmark will retain exclusive rights in India and other countries of the rest of the world.
"There continues to be a medical need for safer and more efficacious products for the treatment of painful diabetic neurophathy and osteoarthritis pain," said Marc Cluzel, M.D., Executive Vice President, Research & Development, sanofi-aventis. "GRC 15300 and its associated program brings an innovative approach to sanofi-aventis' pain portfolio. We are very pleased to collaborate with Glenmark Pharmaceuticals on the development of this new programme, which we believe may have promise to address a significant gap in treating chronic pain."
According to Glenn Saldanha MD and CEO of GPL, "This agreement continues to demonstrate Glenmark's world class innovative R&D and validates Glenmark's leadership in the Indian drug discovery arena. We have made excellent progress with our TRPV3 program at Glenmark and are very excited to be joining our efforts with those of sanofiaventis, a world class research driven global pharmaceutical company."
About TRPV3 program
The TRPV3 receptor is an ion channel protein that mediates and influences cell signaling, including
the nerve cell signaling that generates some types of pain. Inhibitors of TRPV3 are predicted to be
useful in the treatment of inflammation, various pain conditions, and other diseases and disorders.
The goal of the partnership will be to advance GRC 15300 as well as other promising drug candidates
with the hope of providing patients better medicines for pain and other conditions.
About Glenmark
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (GPL) is a research-driven, global, integrated pharmaceutical
company headquartered at Mumbai, India. It is a leading player in the discovery of new molecules
both NCEs (new chemical entity) and NBEs (new biological entity). Glenmark has eight molecules in
various stages of clinical development and is primarily focused in the areas of Inflammation
[asthma/COPD, rheumatoid arthritis etc.], Metabolic Disorders [diabetes, obesity, etc.] and Pain
[neuropathic pain and inflammatory pain]. The company has a significant presence in branded
generics markets across emerging economies including India. GPL along with its subsidiary has
twelve manufacturing facilities in four countries and has five R&D centres.
About sanofi-aventis
Sanofi-aventis, a leading global pharmaceutical company, discovers, develops and distributes
therapeutic solutions to improve the lives of everyone. Sanofi-aventis is listed in Paris and in New York.
SOURCE: sanofi-aventis