H. Lundbeck A/S (Lundbeck) has signed an agreement with Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd. (Kyowa Hakko Kirin) providing Lundbeck with exclusive rights to develop and commercialise the adenosine A2a antagonist KW-6356. Lundbeck will also have the right to further select compounds as either back-up or additional indication compounds. Adenosine A2a antagonists have potential applications in a wide range of therapeutic indications, including Parkinson's disease. Kyowa Hakko Kirin will retain rights to develop and commercialise the compounds in Japan and the Asian region.
Kyowa Hakko Kirin will receive an upfront payment, development and commercial milestones, as well as royalties on net sales from Lundbeck.
KW-6356 is in early development and is a selective, high-affinity and long-lasting antagonist of the adenosine A2a receptor conferring strong efficacy in various disease models.
The agreement is an important supplement to Lundbeck's commitment to provide new innovative medicines in the CNS field in areas with high unmet need.
"We are pleased with the conclusion of this agreement and have been very impressed with the achievements at Kyowa Hakko Kirin to design and discover novel A2a antagonists. We have high confidence in the potential of the compounds to become new drugs which will become important supplements to our development pipeline" says Peter H. Andersen, Executive Vice President of Research at Lundbeck.
About Kyowa Hakko Kirin
Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd. is a leading biopharmaceutical company in Japan. It had a new start in October 2008 following the merger of Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co., Ltd. and Kirin Pharma Company, Limited, with the aim of becoming a global specialty pharmaceutical company that creates innovative new drugs. Kyowa Hakko Kirin is focusing its core business areas of oncology, nephrology and immunology to create new value in the life sciences and to contribute to the health and well-being of people around the world. For more information, visit www.kyowa-kirin.co.jp/english/
About Lundbeck
H. Lundbeck A/S (LUN.CO, LUN DC, HLUKY) is an international pharmaceutical company highly committed to improve the quality of life for people suffering from central nervous system (CNS) disorders. For this purpose Lundbeck is engaged in the research and development, production, marketing and sale of pharmaceuticals across the world, targeted at disorders like depression and anxiety, schizophrenia, insomnia, Huntington's, epilepsies, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
Lundbeck was founded in 1915 by Hans Lundbeck in Copenhagen, Denmark, and employs today approximately 5,900 people worldwide. Lundbeck is one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies working with CNS disorders. In 2009, the company's revenue was DKK 13.7 billion (approximately EUR 1.8 billion or USD 2.6 billion). For more information, please visit www.lundbeck.com.