Isis and Lilly renegotiate Affinitak production deal

Isis Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly say they have reached a mutually beneficial renegotiation of their manufacturing relationship. Lilly has waived repayment of the $21 million (€18m) manufacturing loan it provided Isis to build a manufacturing facility for their cancer drug Affinitak (formerly called LY900003 and ISIS 3521).

Lilly has also agreed to allow Isis to use the facility to manufacture other drugs, including drugs in its pipeline and those arising out of research collaborations with partners, such as the broad antisense drug discovery collaboration with itself.

In exchange, Isis has agreed to release Lilly from its obligations contained in the supply agreement for Affinitak, an inhibitor of PKC-alpha in development for non-small cell lung cancer, including those associated with the purchase of additional product from Isis and paying for the costs of maintaining an idle manufacturing suite.

Isis completed the construction of a commercial-scale manufacturing facility for antisense oligonucleotides, initially dedicated to Affinitak and financed with the loan from Lilly, in February. The facility is capable of producing hundreds of kilograms antisense drugs a year.