SAN DIEGO, Dec. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Ambrx Inc. today announced that it has entered into a global, strategic collaboration with Merck & Co. Inc. to develop a novel therapeutic protein with biological properties similar to Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 (FGF-21) for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and related metabolic disorders such as obesity.
The collaboration utilizes Ambrx's proprietary protein technology, ReCODE(TM), to develop a chemically modified and optimized drug candidate designed to have improved therapeutic properties over the native FGF-21 protein.
"We are pleased to enter into this agreement with Merck, a world leader in the metabolic diseases field with a proven track record in the rapid development and launch of diabetes medicines," said Stephen W. Kaldor, Ph.D., Ambrx's president and chief executive officer. "We are excited about the potential of our initial FGF-21 protein drug candidates, as they promise unique pharmacological efficacy in the treatment of diabetes, a disease of large and rapidly increasing prevalence."
"Molecules capable of mimicking the biological properties of the natural protein FGF-21 represent promising candidates for the treatment of metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes and obesity," said Luciano Rossetti, M.D., senior vice president and franchise head, Diabetes/Obesity and Cardiovascular Franchises at Merck. "Ambrx has developed several novel preclinical protein therapeutic candidates designed to provide enhanced therapeutic properties that may complement our portfolio of products for people with metabolic disorders."
The transaction includes an initial upfront payment in addition to committed R&D payments. Ambrx will also be eligible to receive future milestone payments associated with research, development and commercialization of a drug candidate resulting from the collaboration along with royalties on net sales. Ambrx also has the right to exercise an "end of Phase II" profit sharing option. Additional terms of the agreement were not disclosed. It is expected that this collaboration, in conjunction with three others announced this year, will preclude the necessity for Ambrx to raise additional equity capital for a number of years.
About Ambrx
Ambrx Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of first-in-class and best-in-class BioSuperior(TM), protein-based drugs. Using its technology, the company can overcome the performance limitations of high-value commercial proteins by improving their efficacy, safety and ease of use. Ambrx's core ReCODE(TM) technology enables the precise, site-specific substitution of a novel amino acid within a protein. This allows the conjugation of proteins with additional molecules that can serve to modulate their pharmacokinetic profile or biological function. Ambrx's ReCODE(TM) technology is applicable to multiple protein products across numerous therapeutic areas. Ambrx has successfully and rapidly applied its innovative technology platform to advance into the clinic with ARX201, its first proprietary molecule, and is building a broad pipeline of additional product opportunities. For additional information, call 858.875.2400 or visit http://www.ambrx.com.
CONTACT: Tracey Milani, tracey.milani@russopartnersllc.com, or David
Schull, david.schull@russopartnersllc.com, both of Russo Partners LLC,
+1-619-814-3511, for Ambrx Inc.
Web site: http://www.ambrx.com/
