Current collaborations

PolyTherics has commercial licence agreements with two companies:

• Shantha Biotechnics Limited (a company based in India that became part of Sanofi-Aventis in July 2009) to develop, manufacture and use TheraPEG™ to PEGylate a version of Shanferon, its marketed recombinant human IFN α-2b, which is produced in the yeast Pichia pastoris. See press release.
• Celtic Pharma for the development and commercialization of a therapeutic protein PEGylated using TheraPEG™, initially produced by PolyTherics under a research licence agreement. PolyTherics received an upfront licence fee and expects to receive clinical and regulatory milestones as well as royalties on eventual product sales. The companies are also collaborating on the PEGylation of a second therapeutic protein under a licence option agreement. See press releases.

PolyTherics has externally funded long-term research agreements with the following organisations:

• DNDi (Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative) for the development of a novel version of amphotericin B; the project is funded by DNDi.
• Zealand Pharma for the development of a PEGylated form of a novel anti-obesity drug. The project is funded jointly by the companies and supported by a Eurostars grant. See press release.

PolyTherics is also collaborating with Isogenica Limited to produce novel high potency peptides for the treatment of inflammatory pain.

PolyTherics also has an agreement with BioVectra, a manufacturer of specialty chemicals and biological agents, for the supply of PEG, and PEG reagents to cGMP standards. See press release.

PolyTherics also has a number of undisclosed collaborations dedicated to exploratory research on the applicability of its PEGylation technologies.