Replies to post #181031 on Biotech Values

[DewDiligence]

CRIS jumps on PD-L1 bandwagon:

http://www.fiercebiotech.com/press-releases/curis-and-aurigene-announce-collaboration-license-and-option-agreement-disc

Curis, Inc….and Aurigene Discovery Technologies Limited…today announced that they have entered into an exclusive collaboration agreement focused on immuno-oncology and selected precision oncology targets. The collaboration provides for inclusion of multiple programs, with Curis having the option to exclusively license compounds once a development candidate is nominated within each respective program.

The partnership draws from each company's respective areas of expertise, with Aurigene having the responsibility for conducting all discovery and preclinical activities, including IND-enabling studies and providing Phase 1 clinical trial supply, and Curis having responsibility for all clinical development, regulatory and commercialization efforts worldwide, excluding India and Russia, for each program for which it exercises an option to obtain a license.

The first two programs under the collaboration are an orally-available small molecule antagonist of programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) in the immuno-oncology field and an orally-available small molecule inhibitor of Interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK4) in the precision oncology field. Curis expects to exercise its option to obtain exclusive licenses to both programs and file IND applications for a development candidate from each in 2015.