AstraZeneca is looking to bolster its existing respiratory disease portfolio through a research collaboration and license agreement with Dynavax, AstraZeneca told "The Pink Sheet" DAILY Sept. 7.

The agreement pertains to "the discovery and development of TLR-9 agonist-based therapies for the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease," using Dynavax' second-generation TLR-9 agonist immunostimulatory sequences, Dynavax announced Sept. 6.

"We are optimistic that our collaboration will lead to some important new therapies in asthma and COPD," AstraZeneca said, although the company cautioned that the TLR-9 program is in the preclinical stages of development.

In an interview, Dynavax CEO Dino Dina said his company decided to partner with AstraZeneca because its research and development team is "in tune to and values" Dynavax' unique "mode of intervention."

"What we are trying to do is really very different than anything that is out there," Dina said.

"All of the drugs that are available today address symptoms and they only work as long as you keep them in the system. What we are trying to do with our drug is to really change how the immune system reacts to allergens that cause asthma and reprogram the immune system to respond differently so the allergen is no longer able to provoke an asthmatic response."

Under the agreement, AstraZeneca and Dynavax will work together to find lead TLR-9 agonists and conduct necessary trials. AstraZeneca is responsible for development and worldwide commercialization of any products resulting from the collaboration.

The deal could be worth up to roughly $136 mil. for the Berkeley, Calif.-based Dynavax, including an up-front payment of $10 mil. and as much as $17 mil. more for research and preclinical milestones.

Dynavax said it hopes AstraZeneca can file an IND in "as early as two years." Dynavax would be eligible for sales-based royalties upon commercialization.

AstraZeneca's respiratory disease portfolio includes Accolate (zafirlukast) tablets, and budesonide products Pulmicort Respules , Pulmicort Turbuhaler and Rhinocort Aqua .

Earlier this summer, AstraZeneca announced it would delay the launch of its asthma therapy Symbicort (budesonide/formoterol) until mid-2007 as it works to develop a longer shelf life for the product (¹ Also see "Schering/Novartis To Develop Once-Daily Inhalation Combination For Asthma, COPD" - Pink Sheet, 14 August, 2006.).

- Daniel Fowler (d.fowler@elsevier.com)

Dynavax Deal Could Bolster AstraZeneca’s Respiratory Disease Portfolio

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