Global licensing agreement worth $770M announced for neuro disease therapies

A United Kingdom-based biotech company has announced a global licensing agreement with a California pharma firm to research and develop drug candidates targeting two different ion channel targets associated with neurological disorders.

The goal of the agreement between Autifony Therapeutics and Jazz Pharmaceuticals is to produce a pipeline of small molecule modulators that selectively target specific subtypes of ion channels — membrane proteins who act as gatekeepers for movement of ions through cell membranes — whose gene mutations adversely affect nerve and muscle activity, leading to neurological disease, according to a release from Autifony.

Development of therapeutics specifically developed to target these channels would adequately address conditions that may otherwise be difficult to treat or untreatable.

Terms of the partnership stipulate that Jazz Pharmaceuticals will lead all clinical development, manufacturing and regulatory activities and commercialization, with Autifony receiving upfront payment from Jazz worth $770 million, while retaining eligibility to receive royalties on future net sales, according to the release.

“We are excited to be working with Jazz Pharmaceuticals on two novel ion channel targets, on which we can bring to bear Autifony’s long standing expertise in small molecule ion channel drug discovery and development,” Autifony CEO Charles H. Large, PhD, said in the release. “Jazz has an exceptional track record of rapidly advancing neuroscience development programs and effectively commercializing novel therapies that offer improvements over current standards of care.”