Novartis finds its next mass-market ophthalmology drug candidate at a small virtual biotech with a global view
Like me, you may never have heard about Lubris BioPharma before today. But Novartis has. And that is by far more important.
Today the pharma giant reached out and exercised an option on a recombinant lubricant Lubris drew from nature’s medicine chest and applied for dry eye disease. There are no terms, no big biobucks on the record (though someone told the Boston Business Journal that the package was worth up to $1 billion). But the deal marks a definite transition phase for little Lubris as it shifts its focus on the same therapy to a different set of ailments in mind, while Novartis eyes an addition to its late-stage pipeline.
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