Vernalis (a fully owned subsidiary of HitGen Inc) and Servier achieve a milestone in their oncology drug discovery collaboration
30 September 2021 – Vernalis, a fully owned subsidiary of HitGen Inc., and Servier are pleased to announce the achievement of a research milestone in one of their oncology drug discovery collaborations, triggering an undisclosed milestone payment to Vernalis.
Vernalis and Servier’s partnership has been running successfully since 2007 with a number of collaborations on different therapeutic targets. This particular collaboration was established in January 2017 in which Vernalis’ proprietary fragment and structure-based drug discovery platform is combined with the oncology expertise at Servier on a challenging protein target which is implicated in many different cancers. This milestone recognizes success in achieving a particular research milestone. The financial terms of the agreement are not disclosed.
“The milestone further validates our fragment and structure-based drug discovery platform and the strength and success of our relationship with Servier. We look forward to working together to develop exciting new cancer treatment opportunities to add to the already disclosed successes with Bcl-2 and Mcl-1”, commented James Murray, Research Director at Vernalis.
“This research milestone is the result of highly interactive joint efforts between chemists, biochemists and biologists from both companies and hopefully will lead to new treatments for cancer patients,” commented Frederic Colland, Head of Hard-to-treat Cancer research program at Servier. “This research program is in line with Servier’s strategy, which has made oncology one of its foremost priorities to respond the growing needs for therapeutic solutions.”
Under the current agreement, Vernalis receives fees for work undertaken as well as research and development milestones and potentially royalties on sales.
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About Servier
Servier is a global pharmaceutical group governed by a Foundation. With a strong international presence in 150 countries and a total revenue of 4.7 billion euros in 2020, Servier employs 22,500 people worldwide. Servier is an independent group that invests over 20% of its brand-name revenue in Research and Development every year. To accelerate therapeutic innovation for the benefit of patients, the Group is committed to open and collaborative innovation with academic partners, pharmaceutical groups, and biotech companies. It also integrates the patient’s voice at the heart of its activities, from research to support beyond the pill.
A leader in cardiology, the ambition of the Servier Group is to become a renowned and innovative player in oncology. Its growth is based on a sustained commitment to cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, oncology, neuroscience and immuno-inflammatory diseases. To promote access to healthcare for all, the Servier Group also offers a range of quality generic drugs covering most pathologies. More information: servier.com
Media Relations contacts:
Sonia Marques: presse@servier.com – Tel. +33 (0)1 55 72 40 21 / + 33 (0)7 84 28 76 13
Jean-Clément Vergeau: presse@servier.com – Tel. +33 (0)1 55 72 46 16 / +33 (0)6 79 56 75 96
About Vernalis
For information about Vernalis visit: www.vernalis.com
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