Replies to post #34498 on Biotech Values

[DewDiligence]

>It will be interesting to see if Quark et al have more luck than Merck & Alnylam did with in vivo delivery.<

I don’t think delivery per se is the limiting issue in RNAi treatment for AMD. Rather, the limiting issue is the need to produce Lucentis-like efficacy without unreasonably frequent intravitreal injections. Regards, Dew

p.s. Just to be clear: MRK/ALNY, Acuity Pharma, and AGN/RNAI are (were) pursuing (pursued) RNA interference of the VEGF gene, while PFE will be pursuing RNA interference of the RTP-801 gene.

[DewDiligence]

SR Pharma (UK) is another beneficiary of today’s
PFE-Quark deal in diabetic macular edema/AMD.

http://www.pharmalive.com/News/index.cfm?articleid=376086&categoryid=21

>>
SR Pharma plc to Receive Milestone Payments of up to US$95 Million from Pfizer as a Result of Sublicensing Deal

LONDON, 26 September 2006 - SR Pharma plc (AIM: SPA) announces that its operating subsidiary Atugen AG will receive milestone payments of up to US$95 million as well as royalties as a result of a sublicensing deal announced today between its collaborator Quark Biotech Inc., Atugen AG and Pfizer Inc.

SR Pharma will receive an initial payment of $2 million and a first milestone payment of $1.5 million on the start of the Phase I trial. All agreements are subject to certain conditions which include the clearance by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

The payments relate to a RNAi therapeutic product (RTP-801i) developed under an agreement between Quark and Atugen for the treatment of Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and other diseases. The financial terms of the sublicensing transaction between Quark Biotech and Pfizer have not been disclosed.

Quark Biotech and Atugen have collaborated on this AtuRNAi therapeutic siRNA product for AMD since 2004 and are currently collaborating on additional therapeutic AtuRNAi siRNA products in other indications.

Iain Ross, Chairman of SR Pharma, said: “This deal, which will result in milestone payments directly to Atugen of up to US$95 million and additional potential upside of royalties, is a significant validation of Atugen’s proprietary siRNA technology (AtuRNAi).”

Thomas Christély, Chief Executive Officer of Atugen stated: ”This is a break-through for SR Pharma’s siRNA therapeutics programs as this represents our first siRNA molecule out-licensed to a large pharma company.”
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