Roche to develop Borean's Apo A-1

Swiss drug major Roche and Danish biopharmaceutical company Borean Pharma A/S say they have signed an agreement granting the former exclusive rights to develop and commercialize Trimeric Apo A-I, the latter's lead candidate for the treatment of atherosclerosis.

The drug is a trimerized version of the naturally-occurring apolipoprotein, the major protein component of high density lipoprotein cholesterol. The concentration of HDL and Apo A-1 inversely correlates with the incidence of atherosclerosis and, recent Phase II trials of a variant of Apo A-1 showed that it produced a reduction in the build up of fatty arterial plaque, a known trigger for heart attacks. Borean added that the trimeric version of the peptide inhibits the formation of arterial plaque in preclinical animal models.

Under the terms of the deal, Roche will acquire all intellectual property rights to the product, which is currently entering the stage of lead optimization, when the transaction is completed in the second quarter of 2006. The companies added that the accord is subject to applicable antitrust and competition authorities. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.