This new candidate, a p38 kinase inhibitor, represents the second compound to advance to the clinic from the partnership between the companies.
Under the terms of the collaboration agreement, Bristol-Myers Squibb will pay Pharmacopeia milestone payments for the lead compound in the program as it progresses through clinical development, and royalty payments for any product from the program that reaches the marketplace.
The collaboration has focused, to date, on compounds addressing inflammatory disease. The lead compound from this partnership is also a p38 kinase inhibitor targeting rheumatoid arthritis that has already been evaluated in multiple phase I studies
Studies on p38 kinase inhibitors have shown promise to combine the benefits of marketed protein therapeutics like Enbrel and Kineret in an orally administered, small molecule that can reduce the pro-inflammatory effects of TNF-alpha and IL-1- beta.
“Having two p38 kinase inhibitor candidates in the clinic at the same time is a strong indication of Bristol-Myers Squibb’s commitment to developing therapies that address areas of medical need,” stated Dr Les Browne, Pharmacopeia’s president and CEO.