Unigene enters three-year accord with QMUL

USA-based Unigene Laboratories has acquired exclusive commercial rights to a combination therapy with potential value in the treatment of certain inflammatory diseases, and a novel peptide that may find application in the treatment of certain cardiovascular diseases. These rights were acquired from UK's Queen Mary's School of Medicine, University of London, and the conditions targeted by the inventions include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, as well as cardiac reperfusion injury in heart attack and stroke.

Under the terms of the deal, Unigene will gain rights to inventions already identified, and to future developments in exchange for research funding of approximately $400,000 per year over the next three years, with milestones based on clinical and commercial progress, and royalty payments representing a percentage of the firm's revenues.

The first licensed program involves a combination therapy using calcitonin and glucocorticoids for inflammatory diseases. QMUL has filed patent applications disclosing the unexpected benefit of combining calcitonin and various glucocorticoids to treat a variety inflammation conditions. This combination allows for a lower dose of glucocorticoid, which may reduce the side effects associated with high-dose treatment, and which inhibits chronic use.