Biotech firm Archemix strengthens alliances
company has announced two high profile strategic alliances aimed at
leveraging its aptamer technology to a wider audience.
The biotechnology company has expanded its strategic alliance with proteomics system developer SomaLogic as well as signing a new deal with Isis Pharmaceuticals that will give it access to approximately 400 of Isis' patents relating to oligonucleotide compositions and methods. The news of the two deals comes less than a fortnight after Archemix filed a $69m (€50m) IPO, which, according to its SEC (Securities & Exchange Commission) filing, the company will use to move its lead drug candidate, ARC1779, into Phase IIa clinical trials as a treatment for acute coronary syndrome as well as into Phase Ib trials as a treatment for thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). In addition to the IPO, Archemix has successfully raised funds by entering into licensing deals with Merck Serono, Pfizer, Elan Pharma and Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Archemix has developed a process for discovering and producing aptamers, synthetically-derived short nucleic acid sequences also known as oligonucleotides. Aptamers bind to specific target sequences of DNA disrupting interactions between proteins, much like antibodies. However, because they are chemically synthesised they are much less expensive to make than antibodies. They can be designed to combine the optimal characteristics of small molecules and antibodies such as binding with high specificity and affinity, chemical stability and low immunogenicity. The binding strength of the aptamer to the target can be readily modified so that the optimal duration of action can be found. However, while they bind with high affinity and specificity, they can also be designed to have a specified duration of action. The alliance with Isis will allow Archemix to make use of Isis' experience in developing antisense drugs in combination with its own expertise in developing aptamers using its SELEX (systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment) platform. Earlier this year, Isis presented positive results from three Phase II trials of its cholesterol lowering drug, Isis-301012. While financial terms of the deal were not disclosed Isis has received a warrant to purchase an undisclosed number of shares of Archemix' common stock as well as receiving milestones and royalties on any aptamer therapeutics that incorporate Isis chemistries, analytical methods or manufacturing processes. In addition, Isis will receive a percentage of revenue generated by Archemix from any sublicenses that include Isis' intellectual property (IP) to third party companies for the development of aptamer therapeutics. The deal with SomaLogic expands on the 2003 cross licensing agreement between the two companies which was designed to clarify the specific areas in which areas the companies will operate, with SomaLogic holding the exclusive rights to aptamer-based diagnostics and ex vivo detection applications, with Archemix holding broad rights for aptamer therapeutics. The new deal grants Archemix exclusive rights to therapeutic uses of aptamers discovered by SomaLogic for a limited number of targets identified by Archemix while SomaLogic will receive rights to all ex vivo uses of aptamers which it did not previously hold, including the use of aptamers for affinity purification. In addition, Archemix will have the option of providing targets to SomaLogic for the generation of aptamers while other provisions made in the original agreement remain unchanged.
