Pfizer Licenses TransTech Compounds

Pfizer has signed a licensing agreement with TransTech Pharma for the development and commercialization of small- and large-molecule compounds under development by TransTech for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other diseases.

The compounds target the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE). The most advanced of the compounds are TTP488, an orally available small-molecule candidate that has completed Phase II clinical trials in patients with Alzheimer???s disease and diabetic nephropathy, and TTP4000, a large molecule expected to begin Phase I trials this year.

Under the terms of the agreement, Pfizer gains exclusive worldwide rights to TransTech's portfolio of RAGE modulators. TransTech will receive up-front and near-term milestone payments of $155 million and could earn unspecified later milestone and royalty payments. Pfizer will provide additional research funding to support efforts to expand the compound portfolio.

Martin Mackay, senior vice president of worldwide research and technology at Pfizer, says the agreement is the 10th this year in the company's push to supplement in-house research with products and technologies gained through licensing agreements. "Our goal is to accelerate this activity by quickly seizing on new opportunities," he says, adding that Pfizer has an extensive background in Alzheimer's disease. "We understand the need for new treatment options for this debilitating disease," he says.

TransTech CEO Adnan M. Mjalli says his firm opted to go with Pfizer in part due to the larger firm's expertise in developing new medicines, especially for the treatment of central nervous system diseases.

RAGE is a member of the immunoglobulin family of cell-surface molecules. The molecules have a variety of ligands that are associated with diseases including Alzheimer's, diabetes, renal insufficiency, tumors, and inflammation.