Horizon and Alpine Enter Agreement to Develop Novel Protein-Based Therapies for Autoimmune and Inflammatory Diseases

Horizon Therapeutics has entered into an exclusive license and collaboration agreement with Alpine Immune Sciences for the development and commercialization of up to four preclinical candidates generated from Alpine Immune Science’s discovery platform.

Photo: Elizabeth Thompson, executive vice president of research and development for Horizon Therapeutics

The overall agreement includes licensing of a lead potential first-in-class preclinical candidate, as well as a research collaboration to jointly generate additional novel candidates. These candidates include previously undisclosed multi-specific fusion protein-based therapeutic candidates for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

“This partnership represents an opportunity to advance our research efforts, moving our mechanistic insights into innovative molecules utilizing Alpine’s expertise and proven ability to design multi-specific protein-based immunotherapies,” said Elizabeth Thompson, executive vice president of research and development for Horizon. “This collaboration will expand Horizon’s early preclinical pipeline with complementary mechanisms of action to our current clinical stage therapeutics and provide our first preclinical, multi-specific development candidate.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Horizon will make an upfront payment to Alpine of $25 million as well as an equity investment in Alpine of $15 million at a 25 percent premium to the 30-day volume-weighted average share price.

In addition, Alpine is eligible to receive up to $381 million per program, or approximately $1.5 billion in total, in future success-based payments related to development, regulatory, and commercial milestones as well as tiered royalties on global net sales. Under the agreement, Alpine will advance candidate molecules to pre-defined preclinical milestones. Horizon will then assume responsibility for development and commercialization activities and costs.

Author: Rare Daily Staff