ZymoGenetics out-licenses non-core drugs

US drugmaker ZymoGenetics has out-licensed eight early-stage product candidates to Seattle Life Sciences in exchange for milestones and  royalties, as well as an equity interest in SLS that will be issued in  connection with the firm obtaining venture capital financing.

The assets licensed to SLS are "outside our areas of focus and, as a  result, were not being developed internally," said Douglas Williams,  chief executive of ZymoGenetics. Financial terms of the deal were not  disclosed.

Seattle-based ZymoGenetics develops novel protein drugs. Its first  product, Recothrom (recombinant thrombin) for bleeding control during  surgery, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration at the  start of the year (Marketletter January 28).