Agreement includes eribulin mesylate, which Eisai plans to submit for regulatory approval against breast cancer by year-end.

Eisai and Quintiles forged a collaboration to co-develop six of Eisai’s cancer compounds for multiple indications. The deal covers Ontak®, which was recently granted FDA approval for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Also included is eribulin mesylate (E7389), for which Eisai separately confirmed plans to submit for regulatory approval in the U.S., Japan, and Europe by the end of this year for the treatment of locally advanced and metastatic breast cancer.

The other four compounds include:  Phase II E7080 for thyroid cancer, Phase II E7820 for colorectal cancer, Phase II E6201 currently being developed for psoriasis, and Phase I E7050.

Eisai and Quintiles will share clinical development risks. Quintiles will carry out Phase II studies for 11 tumor indications under the leadership of its strategic partnering group, NovaQuest. Eisai will continue development of the same six compounds for another 18 indications.

Coiniciding with the Quintiles deal announcement, Eisai separately reported positive data from the Phase III study comparing the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer with either eribulin mesylate or a treatment of the physician’s choice. These included either single agent chemotherapy, hormonal or biological therapies, or palliative treatment/radiotherapy. Preliminary trial results suggested eribulin mesylate therapy boosted overall survival rates compared with other treatments.

Eaisai is also conducting clinical trials with eribulin mesylate in non-small-cell lung cancer, hormone refractory prostate cancer, and sarcoma. Under terms of the deal with Quintiles, the companies will jointly develop the drug for the NSCLC indication and bladder cancer.

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