Epix expands collaboration with Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics

The new agreement expands the existing collaboration between Epix and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics (CFFT) and increases payments from CFFT by up to $37.7 million. As a result, the total potential value of the collaboration has increased to more than $50 million. The expanded agreement follows Epix’s successful development of a validated, virtual 3-D molecule of the full length Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane conductance Regulator (CFTR), announced in January 2008.

Michael Kauffman, CEO of Epix, said: “By utilizing our proprietary in silico technology to model the CFTR ion channel, we were able to quickly discover novel CFTR modulators that are fueling our structure-based optimization approach. The results achieved to date through this collaboration provide an excellent platform and a promising path forward as we move our CFTR program into lead optimization and potentially into clinical development.”