Pharmaceutical Business review

Chugai grants VEGF-D intellectual property license to Circadian

The license enables Circadian to enhance its intellectual property portfolio and secure its position as the dominant player in the field of VEGF-D worldwide.

The agreement also enables Circadian to sub-license the IP, which will allow the company to expand the work in utilising the VEGF-D intellectual property estate through selective partnerships.

Under the agreement, Circadian will pay an upfront license fee to Chugai, and milestone payments and royalties based on certain VEGF-D related products.

Circadian CEO Robert Klupacs said VEGF-D is a major novel target for cancer and other diseases, including respiratory diseases, and as such is an important asset for the company.

"This agreement enhances our ability to use VEGF-D to develop new diagnostics and treatments and to potentially generate further early revenues for Circadian," Klupacs said.