Dynavax gets $4.5M milestone from AZ

US firm Dynavax Technologies has received a $4.5-million milestone payment from its partner, Anglo-Swedish drug major AstraZeneca, for the nomination of AZD1419 in the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. As part of this development and commercialization collaboration, the companies have initiated Investigational New Drug- enabling studies and plan to begin Phase I clinical development in 2009. Disease-modifying drug for asthma and COPD

AZD1419 is designed to modify the course of these diseases by reprogramming the immune response to multiple allergens. The drug is based on Dynavax' second-generation immunostimulatory sequences, which are short DNA sequences that specifically target Toll-Like Receptor 9 to stimulate the innate immune response.

Dynavax and AstraZeneca have been working together to develop a TLR9 agonist-based therapeutic for the treatment of asthma and COPD since September 2006. AstraZeneca is responsible for the development and worldwide commercialization of any products arising from the research program, whereas Dynavax is eligible to receive a total of $136.0 million in payments and, upon commercialization of these products, royalties based on sales and the opportunity to co-promote the approved drug in the USA along with AstraZeneca.