Celgene forges cancer pact with CRT; FDA OKs Pfizer's Xeljanz as treatment for psoriatic arthritis
→ Celgene has signed a five-year deal with Cancer Research UK’s subsidiary Cancer Research Technology to discover, develop, and commercialize oncology drugs. The duo will work on mRNA translation, the cellular process of assembling proteins. Multiple oncogenes and tumor suppressors act on translation machinery, and dysregulation of protein synthesis is a common feature of cancer cells. Targeting the process could disrupt the spread of cancer. Under the agreement, Celgene is paying an undisclosed upfront fee to Cancer Research Technology. In return, the pharma giant gets the option to buy US rights to projects that arise from the collaboration, and access to global rights at the end of Phase I trials. Cancer Research Technology is eligible for royalties and milestones. “This is our largest drug discovery collaboration to date and represents a major endorsement of the reputation and scale of our capacity and expertise in both drug discovery and clinical development by a leading industry partner,” said Iain Foulkes, Cancer Research Technology’s CEO, in a statement.
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