PRINCETON, N.J., Nov. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pharmacopeia , an innovator in the discovery and development of novel small molecule therapeutics, announced today that it has identified two new lead compounds for advancement in its alliance with GlaxoSmithKline , through its collaboration with the Center of Excellence for External Drug Discovery (CEEDD). The first of the lead compounds forms the basis of a new lead optimization program focused on identifying a treatment for respiratory disease. The other newly identified lead compound is the second from a program in inflammatory pain. As a result of the identification of these new lead compounds, Pharmacopeia will receive milestone payments totaling $1 million from GSK.
Under the terms of the companies’ collaboration, Pharmacopeia has received $10 million from GSK in connection with early discovery activities and is entitled to an additional $5 million payment upon the completion of additional early discovery activities. Pharmacopeia is also entitled to success-based milestone payments totaling up to $83 million per program and potentially double-digit royalties on the sales of any product commercialized by GSK under the multi-program alliance. Should GSK decline its option to complete pivotal trials of alliance programs, Pharmacopeia may independently pursue them, subject to its obligations to GSK under the agreement.
“With the identification of these two compounds, our collaboration has now identified a total of three new leads this year,” said Hugh Cowley, Senior Vice President of GSK and head of the CEEDD at GSK. “We are extremely pleased to see the continued rapid and impressive achievements of the team driving this successful collaboration.”
“Since entering into this collaboration just over 18 months ago, we have advanced multiple programs focusing on compelling targets toward development candidates,” said David Floyd, Ph.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of Pharmacopeia “We are very pleased that progress within the collaboration exceeds our initial estimates and that compounds are coming from multiple programs in multiple therapeutic areas. We’re particularly happy to have added a second lead to our ongoing pain program as this significantly increases its chances of overall success.”
About The CEEDD
GlaxoSmithKline is enhancing the way it discovers and develops drugs by creating a small dedicated team who will feed the GSK pipeline solely through the efforts of its external alliances. The CEEDD (Center of Excellence for External Drug Discovery) was formed as further validation of GSK’s strategy to create small, independent and accountable R&D teams (Centers of Excellence for Drug Discovery or CEDDs). In essence, the CEEDD will ‘virtualize’ a portion of the GSK pipeline; namely, from Target to Clinical Proof of Concept, by forming multiple risk-sharing/reward-sharing alliances. Capitalizing on the speed and efficiency of its collaborators will allow GSK to deliver pharmaceuticals products faster to patients.
ABOUT PHARMACOPEIA
Pharmacopeia is a clinical development stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering and developing novel small molecule therapeutics to address significant medical needs. The company has a broad portfolio of clinical and preclinical candidates under development internally or by partners including seven clinical compounds in Phase 2 or Phase 1 development addressing multiple indications including hypertension, diabetic nephropathy, muscle wasting, inflammation and respiratory disease. The company is leveraging its fully integrated drug discovery platform to sustain the growth of its development pipeline. Pharmacopeia has established strategic agreements with major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, including Bristol-Myers Squibb, Cephalon, GlaxoSmithKline, Organon, Schering-Plough, and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. For more information please visit the company’s website at http://www.pharmacopeia.com.
This press release, and oral statements made with respect to information contained in this press release, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements include those which express plan, anticipation, intent, goal, contingency or future development and/or otherwise are not statements of historical fact. These statements are based upon management’s current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties, known and unknown, which could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. These forward- looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the successful implementation of Pharmacopeia’s strategic plans, Pharmacopeia’s ability to successfully perform under its collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline, Pharmacopeia’s expectations concerning the development priorities of its collaborators, their ability to successfully develop compounds and its receipt of milestones and royalties from the collaborations, Pharmacopeia’s plans to develop PS433540, a product candidate from its DARA program, Pharmacopeia’s Phase 2 and Phase 1 clinical studies with respect to PS433540, including timing and expected outcomes of such studies, Pharmacopeia’s plans to develop PS178990, a product candidate from its SARM program, Pharmacopeia’s Phase 1 clinical studies with respect to PS178990, including timing and expected outcomes of such studies, Pharmacopeia’s estimates of the market opportunities for its product candidates, including PS433540 and PS178990, Pharmacopeia’s ability to successfully perform under its collaborations with Bristol-Myers Squibb, Cephalon, Organon and Wyeth, Pharmacopeia’s ability to build its pipeline of novel drug candidates through its own internally-funded drug discovery programs, third party collaborations and in-licensing, Pharmacopeia’s ability to raise additional capital, Pharmacopeia’s anticipated operating results, financial condition, liquidity and capital resources, Pharmacopeia’s expectations concerning the legal protections afforded by U.S. and international patent law, Pharmacopeia’s ability to pursue the development of new compounds and other business matters without infringing the patent rights of others, additional competition, and changes in economic conditions.
Further information about these and other relevant risks and uncertainties may be found in Pharmacopeia’s Reports on Form 8-K, 10-Q and 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Pharmacopeia urges you to carefully review and consider the disclosures found in its filings which are available in the SEC EDGAR database at http://www.sec.gov and from Pharmacopeia at http://www.pharmacopeia.com. All forward-looking statements in this press release and oral statements made with respect to information contained in this press release are qualified entirely by the cautionary statements included in this press release and such filings. These risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Pharmacopeia undertakes no obligation to (and expressly disclaims any such obligation to) publicly update or revise the statements made herein or the risk factors that may relate thereto whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
CONTACT: Brian M. Posner, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer of Pharmacopeia, +1-609-452-3643; or Pauline Page, Director,
Science Communications of GlaxoSmithKline (UK), +44 1438 764521
Web site: http://www.pharmacopeia.com//
