Medarex announces two alliances

Medarex and Neuro Therapeutics have entered into a collaboration inwhich the two companies expect to use the former's HuMAb-Mouse technology to develop fully-human antibody therapeutics for central nervous system disorders. Neuro Therapeutics will contribute all of its targets amenable to antibody therapeutics over several years and both companies intend to equally share responsibility for the preclinical and clinical development and commercialization of any resulting products. Neuro Therapeutics president, John Steeves, says that "when the cutting-edge technologies and clinical trial experience of Medarex are combined with the neural disorders knowledge and preclinical in vivo drug development efforts of Neuro Therapeutics, it creates exciting opportunities," especially in an area where there are few drugs currently available.

Meanwhile, in a busy week for the firm, Medarex also said that the formation of a strategic alliance with Northwest Biotherapeutics in which Medarex' antibody technology will be used to generate fully-human antibody therapeutics to treat multiple cancers. NWBio will initially contribute four cancer-related targets, followed by four new targets, as yet undetermined, over the next few years. Again, both companies plan to share preclinical and clinical development costs and will jointly commercialize any resulting products.