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Pfizer, CFFT expand cystic fibrosis collaboration
11-21-2012
EDIT CONNECT
SHARING OPTIONS:
BETHESDA, Md.—Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics Inc.,
the nonprofit drug discovery and development affiliate of the Cystic Fibrosis
Foundation, has announced a major expansion of its research
collaboration with
Pfizer Inc. The collaboration is focused
on discover new drugs to treat people
with Delta F508, the most common mutation of cystic fibrosis.
The new expansion agreement is based on a collaboration
established between the two organizations in 2010 when Pfizer acquired biotech
company
FoldRx Pharmaceuticals Inc. The initiative was part of the company's
effort to discover and develop medicines for rare diseases, and the transaction
included FoldRx's cystic fibrosis research program in collaboration with Cystic
Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics, which started in 2007.
"Innovative collaborations between industry and patient
organizations are increasingly critical in expediting the
translation of
science into new treatments," Jose-Carlos Gutierrez-Ramos, senior vice
president of Pfizer BioTherapeutics R&D, said in a press
release regarding
the expansion. "We look forward to continued collaboration with the CF
Foundation and to applying our leading science with the goal
of identifying
novel therapies for the treatment of this devastating disease."
Per the terms of
the new six-year preclinical research
program, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics will invest up to $58 million
to support and accelerate the
discovery and development of therapies that have
the potential to target the intrinsic cause of the condition. The ultimate aim
of the partnership is
to see one or more drug candidates advance to the clinic
by the end of the collaboration.
The
agreement will seek to identify therapies that can help
patients with the Delta F508 mutation. In patients that have this particular
mutation, a
defective protein called CFTR does not fold correctly, which keeps
it from reaching the surface of the cell and carrying out its function in
maintaining the proper flow of salt and fluids into the airways. The result is
that thick secretions form in the airways, which in turn leads to serious
lung
infections as well as lung damage. Close to 90 percent of cystic fibrosis
sufferers carry at least one copy of the Delta F508 mutation. Pfizer and
Cystic
Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics will work to discover therapies capable of
restoring the normal function of the protein.
"We are excited to expand our efforts with Pfizer to
accelerate the development of more therapies that treat the
root cause of CF
and benefit the greatest number of people with the disease," Robert J.
Beall, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Cystic Fibrosis
Foundation, said in a
statement. "Pfizer brings impressive technical and scientific expertise,
along with its commitment to improving the lives of
people with cystic
fibrosis."
SOURCE: Cystic Fibrosis
Foundation Code: E11201201 Back |
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