Roche in epigenetics drug discovery collaboration

USA-based Constellation Pharmaceuticals says that it has entered into a major strategic agreement with Genentech, a subsidiary of Swiss drug major Roche Group (ROG: SIX), to launch a broad collaboration based on the science of epigenetics and chromatin biology to discover and develop innovative treatments for cancer and other serious diseases.

Under the terms of the accord, Constellation will receive committed funding of $95 million, comprising an upfront payment and research funding for a three-year collaboration period. The firm will also be eligible for substantial development and commercialization milestone payments as well as up to double-digit royalties on commercial sales of multiple products by Genentech. Additionally, Constellation will retain exclusive development and commercialization rights to selected programs emerging from the collaboration, for which payments would be due to Genentech upon the successful commercialization of such products.

The parties will establish a research collaboration addressing multiple epigenetic target classes. Constellation will retain independent strategic direction, operational management and exclusive rights to programs outside of the collaboration scope, including its two most advanced programs that are focused on the development of inhibitors of the BET chromatin reader and EZH2 chromatin writer proteins.