BioWorld International Correspondent

Genmab A/S entered a wide-ranging alliance with F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. for the development of antibody therapeutics based on targets identified by the Swiss pharma giant.

Terms of the deal, which are based on a combination of milestone payments and royalties on eventual product sales, were not disclosed, but its scale could be substantial. "We have the possibility of receiving tens of millions of dollars from them," Genmab CEO Lisa Drakeman told BioWorld International.

The first three targets already have been earmarked for joint development. Moreover, the alliance has significant additional upside for the Genmab. "What's really attractive to us in the Roche collaboration is an opportunity to build our own portfolio," Drakeman said.

As part of the agreement, Genmab may license in certain Roche targets for its own product development efforts.

Genmab, of Copenhagen, Denmark, was co-founded by Medarex Inc., of Princeton, N.J., and has access to that company's UltiMab platform technology for generating fully human antibodies in genetically engineered mice strains, in addition to its own in vivo and in vitro models for preclinical development.

Genmab's lead compound, HuMax CD4, is currently undergoing Phase II clinical trials in two indications, rheumatoid arthritis and severe psoriasis. Three other candidates, HuMax-IL15, which targets interleukin-15, and the anti-cancer compounds HuMax-EGFr and HuMax-AntiCancer are in preclinical development.

Cancer and inflammatory disease represent obvious areas for licensing in additional targets, Drakeman said, because of the number of approved antibody products on the market for these diseases. However, the company is not working on any predefined agenda.

"What we want to see is a strong scientific rationale for the disease targets," she said. Genmab's share price rose just over 7 percent on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange on the day the Roche deal was announced and ended last week up 21 percent for the week, at DKK170.