Opsona and Wyeth sign drug development accord

Irish drug discovery firm Opsona Therapeutics says it has entered into an agreement with US pharmaceutical major Wyeth to discover and develop compounds which target toll-like receptors for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. TLRs are found on the surface of immune system cells and are thought to play a role in the immune response and in certain autoimmune conditions.

The collaboration will focus on certain TLR targets which have been previously identified by Luke O'Neill at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland,with funding from Science Foundation Ireland.

Under the terms of the deal, Opsona will receive an initial upfront fee and milestone payments when certain regulatory approvals are received. The firm is also entitled to royalties from the sale of any commercilized products and retains the right to develop any drugs derived from the partnership as treatments for topical indications.