Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co's life sciences experts have advised long-standing client AstraZeneca on a drug discovery collaboration agreement with Orca Pharmaceuticals.
The agreement sees AstraZeneca gain access to inhibitors of acid-related orphan nuclear receptor gamma (RORg) developed by Orca Pharmaceuticals with the potential to treat a range of autoimmune disorders. The three-year collaboration combines the scientific expertise of both organisations to advance the RORg programme. AstraZeneca has the option to acquire the Orca compounds at the end of the collaboration.
Life Sciences Partner Luke Kempton led on the transaction with assistance from solicitor Nick Smee. They worked with John Taylor a Director in AstraZeneca's Scientific Partnering and Alliances team and in house lawyers John Bryck and Ulrika Lilja Stevall
Luke Kempton said: "We really value our relationship with AstraZeneca and were delighted to be able to assist on this transaction. It was a great example of constructive deal making by all who were involved."
AstraZeneca is a global biopharmaceutical business that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines. These primarily focus on the treatment of cardiovascular, metabolic, respiratory, inflammation, autoimmune, oncology, infection and neuroscience diseases. The company operates across 100 countries, employs approximately 51,500 people worldwide and in 2012 reported total sales of $25.7 billion.
Orca Pharmaceuticals is focused on developing small molecule anti-inflammatory drugs to treat patients with severe autoimmune disease. Founded in 2013, the company is supported by investment from BioMotiv, with additional funding from the NYU Innovation Venture Fund.
Orca was advised by Kerry Sharp of Pennington Manches' Oxford Office.
Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co's Life Sciences team comprises full-service expertise in IP, corporate, competition and EU, regulatory and dispute resolution matters. With a reputation for being "one of the country's leading transactional life sciences practices" (Chambers UK 2015), its clients range from global pharmaceutical companies and leading research and academic bodies, to small private companies and start-up businesses.
The team has completed a number of deals for AstraZeneca and recently advised on its collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company to jointly develop and commercialise AZD3293, an oral beta secretase cleaving enzyme (BASE) inhibitor currently in development as a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease. Last year Luke Kempton advised AstraZeneca's Scientific Partnering and Alliances team on the transaction with the Belgian research institute VIB in relation to the target MALT1.
