Aim is to use agents in colorectal, lung, and liver cancer research.

GE Healthcare and Dyax entered a licensing agreement for the development and commercialization of peptides binding to c-Met. The license includes application of the peptides in PET, single proton emission computed tomography, and optical imaging. The deal provides up-front, milestone, and royalty payments to Dyax.

Research of potential diagnostic applications and use as a patient selection biomarker in oncology will be explored by GE Healthcare in collaboration with academic institutions and pharmaceutical companies. Focus will be on colorectal, lung, and liver cancers.

“Growth factor receptors such as c-Met are promising therapeutic targets that could be a critical factor in the development of colorectal, lung, and liver oncology drugs,” says Marivi Mendizabal, head of research, GE Healthcare Medical Diagnostics. “As in vivo imaging technologies become increasingly important in oncology drug development, our vision is that we will be able to rapidly develop new targeted molecular diagnostics, not just for our own clinical portfolio but as companion diagnostic offerings for our strategic biopharmaceutical partnerships.”

Gustav Christensen, president and CEO at Dyax, notes, “This agreement validates the strength of Dyax’ core phage display library technology to support GE Healthcare’s work to aid the development of cutting-edge treatment options for patients. With 18 Dyax-derived antibody or peptide programs currently in human clinical trials, we continue to demonstrate the utility of Dyax’ proven and highly successful engine to power both therapeutic and diagnostic development.”

Dyax phage display technology selects compounds that bind with high affinity and specificity to therapeutic targets. Dyax leverages this technology broadly through the Licensing and Funded Research Program (LFRP). The company says that it has over 70 revenue-generating licenses and collaborations for therapeutic discovery as well as for affinity separations, diagnostic imaging, and research reagents. This includes 18 candidates in clinical development, four of which are in Phase III trials, four in Phase II, and 10 are in Phase I.

Previous articlePolyTherics, Spirogen to Research Antibody-Drug Conjugates for Cancer
Next articleSynageva, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Add Second Rare Disease Program to Alliance