Dutch-based ProQR Therapeutics, a biotech company, and US-based Eli Lilly (Lilly), announced on Thursday, December 22, that they are expanding their licensing and collaboration agreement on the discovery, development and commercialisation of new genetic medicines.
ProQR is focused on the development of drugs to treat genetic disorders. Eli Lilly engages in the discovery, development, manufacture, and sale of products in the pharmaceutical segment.
Aim of this collaboration
According to a statement, the partnership will aid in the discovery and development of additional assets aimed at high-conviction targets using ProQR’s Axiomer technology.
Founded in 2012 by Daniel A. de Boer, ProQR Therapeutics claims to be changing lives through the creation of transformative RNA therapies. The company is pioneering a next-gen RNA technology called Axiomer, “which uses a cell’s own editing machinery called ADAR to make specific single nucleotide edits in RNA to reverse a mutation or modulate protein expression and could potentially yield a new class of medicines for both rare and prevalent diseases with unmet need.”
The development, first announced in September 2021, applied ProQR’s patented Axiomer RNA editing tool to target liver and neurological system illnesses. And according to the company, advances in the platform have boosted editing efficiency and refined biodistribution in both the liver and nervous system. This has opened doors to new potential applications to not only fix known errors but also insert protective variants in specific transcripts.
Lilly and ProQR will investigate other applications of the Axiomer platform to unlock new breakthrough medicines for individuals living with diseases with high unmet medical needs through this extended relationship.
Founder and CEO of ProQR, Daniel A. de Boer, says, “Lilly is a leader in RNA therapeutics, and our expanded partnership is another validation of our leadership in ADAR-mediated RNA editing, our robust IP estate, and the potential of our broadly applicable Axiomer platform technology. We look forward to making an impact on the lives of patients together with Lilly.”
ProQR to receive $75M
The collaboration provides Lilly with access to additional targets in the central and peripheral nervous systems via ProQR’s Axiomer platform. ProQR will get $75M in total, including an upfront payment and an equity investment. For a $50M contribution, Lilly will be able to exercise an option to expand the cooperation.
Lilly may also choose to grant ProQR access to the company’s patented delivery technology for its fully-owned pipeline.
According to its agreement in September 2021, and the expanded agreement today with Lilly, ProQR is eligible to receive up to nearly $3.75B in research, development and commercialisation milestones, as well as tiered royalties of up to mid-single-digit percentage on product sales.
About Eli Lilly
Lilly claims to combine caring and innovation to develop medications that improve the lives of people globally. The company has been pioneering life-changing discoveries for nearly 150 years, and currently, its medicines help more than 47 million people.
The company is advancing new discoveries to address some of the most pressing health issues facing the world, including diabetes care; treating obesity and reducing its most harmful long-term effects; advancing the fight against Alzheimer’s disease; addressing some of the most crippling immune system disorders; and, developing treatments for the most aggressive cancers.
