Regeneron boosts blockbuster search with Calixar deal

In the perennial search for blockbusters, US drugmaker Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: REGN) has agreed exclusive rights to access the technology and expertise of Calixar to conduct research and discovery of antibodies against an undisclosed target in various therapeutic fields.

Calixar is a privately-held French biotech specialized in native membrane protein stabilization that claims to have technology that allows for the identification of therapeutic targets, especially native and functional ion channels.

The licensing agreement includes upfront and milestone payments to Calixar. Financial terms were not disclosed and the therapeutic area that the research will focus on has not been defined either, though Regeneron's fields at present are ophthalmology, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, atopic dermatitis, pain and infectious diseases.