Posted by Ellen on October 16, 2002 at 12:24:16:
Neurocrine/Taisho restructure diabetes agreement
[Published 15 October 2002 Source Espicom Business Intelligence]
Neurocrine Biosciences and Taisho Pharmaceutical have restructured their exclusive agreement. The original agreement, signed in January 2000, provided Taisho with an option to obtain European and Asian commercialisation rights for Neurocrine's altered peptide ligand (APL), NBI-6024 for diabetes mellitus with Neurocrine retaining all rights in the rest of the world including North America. In July 2000, Taisho exercised its option to the European and Asian rights. The collaboration was then expanded in December 2000, providing Taisho with exclusive rights to North America and countries outside of Europe and Asia. The restructuring of this agreement now allows Neurocrine to reacquire and assume all rights outside of Japan.
Neurocrine has completed four Phase I trials and has one ongoing Phase I/II safety and dose escalating trial in approximately 120 diabetic patients overall. Currently, Neurocrine is conducting an international Phase IIb trial of NBI-6024 in approximately 170 adult and adolescent patients with new-onset Type I diabetes. A second Phase IIb trial in newly-diagnosed Type I diabetics in approximately 200 patients is scheduled to begin in the US later this year or early next year.
Neurocrine researchers recently reported the therapeutic activity of NBI-6024 in an animal model of Type I diabetes (Diabetes, 2002; 51:2126-2134). Researchers demonstrated that the APL was capable of controlling or delaying the onset of diabetes, even when administered shortly before the onset of diabetes.
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