NicOx Research alliances

NicOx alliances

NicOx has established alliances with one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, Merck and with the leading Spanish company Grupo Ferrer. NicOx’ intellectual property and experience in synthesizing, screening and optimizing nitric oxide-donating compounds is central to these collaborations. These alliances accelerate the advancement of NicOx’ research and development activities and endorse the company’s technology and its leading position in the field.

Grupo Ferrer Internacional SA
Dermatology

In April 2004, NicOx signed an agreement with Grupo Ferrer for the research, development and marketing of novel nitric oxide-donating anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of dermatological diseases.

In May 2006 NCX 1047 was selected as the development candidate in their dermatology collaboration. This selection marked the successful completion of the partners’ research program, announced in September 2005, to identify a novel nitric oxide-donating anti-inflammatory with the potential for an improved risk-benefit ratio in humans.

Under the terms of the agreement NicOx is responsible for the initial synthesis of the new compounds, while Ferrer will be responsible for and fund all further development activities through to registration, under the oversight of a joint development committee. Ferrer has marketing rights for the European Union (including EFTA), Latin America, French-speaking Africa (including Morocco and Algeria) and Egypt and an option on U.S. rights, which it may exercise following the commencement of phase 2 studies. NicOx retains all rights for Asia and has the right to co-market products directly in the European Union and EFTA. NicOx will receive undisclosed development milestones and commercial success fees, plus royalties on the sales of any products resulting from the agreement.

Merck & Co, Inc.
Cardiovascular

In March 2006, NicOx signed a major exclusive worldwide license agreement with Merck & Co., Inc. to collaborate on the development of new antihypertensive drugs using NicOx’ proprietary nitric oxide-donating technology. This agreement followed the successful completion of the companies’ research collaboration started in August 2003, which has generated promising results showing that nitric oxide donation can improve the efficacy of antihypertensive agents in in vivo models.

The agreement covers nitric oxide-donating derivatives of several major classes of antihypertensive agents for the treatment of high blood pressure, complications of hypertension, and other cardiovascular and related disorders. Merck has the exclusive right to develop and commercialize antihypertensives that use NicOx’ nitric oxide-donating technology for the treatment of systemic hypertension. NicOx has the option to co-promote on a fee for detail basis products that result from the agreement to specialist physicians, such as cardiologists, in the United States and certain major European countries. In addition, Merck will pay NicOx industry standard royalties on the sales of all products resulting from the collaboration.

NicOx has already received €19.2 million from Merck under the agreement, of which an upfront payment of €9.2 million and €10 million milestone payment since the beginning of 2007 (€5 million for the initiation of the first phase 1 trial in the clinical program and another €5 million linked to the initiation of Good Laboratory Practice toxicology studies on this candidate). NicOx stands to receive a potential additional €269 million in milestone payments from Merck.