Biotechnology company Pieris Pharmaceuticals has signed a multi-programme research collaboration and licence agreement with Roche Group subsidiary Genentech.
Genentech focuses on discovering and developing medicines for serious and life-threatening diseases.
Under the deal, the companies will discover, develop and commercialise drugs for respiratory and ophthalmology indications.
The partners will use Pieris’s Anticalin technology and the small size of Anticalin proteins during local delivery is said to be suitable for the focus disease areas.
This partnership will combine Pieris’s discovery engine with Genentech’s targets and its capabilities in preclinical and clinical development.
Pieris Pharmaceuticals president and CEO Stephen Yoder said: “This collaboration further expands our partnered efforts in respiratory diseases and opens a new avenue for our Anticalin technology to potentially provide patient benefit through local biological effects.
“We also look forward to pursuing another local application of our technology in ophthalmology, where Genentech has extensive capabilities.”
For the deal, Genentech will pay $20m in upfront payment to Pieris, along with more than $1.4bn in potential milestone payments as well as tiered royalties for commercialised programmes.
Under the terms of the agreement, Pieris will carry out discovery research and early preclinical development of the programmes while Genentech will handle investigational new drug (IND)-enabling work, clinical development, as well as commercialisation.
Genentech will also have an option to nominate additional programmes in return for an option exercise fee.
Roche Group Pharma Partnering global head James Sabry said: “Genentech has a longstanding commitment to understanding the underlying biology of respiratory and ocular diseases and translating this expertise into treatments for patients.”