Roche teams up with Ascletis on hep C treatments for China

Roche (ROG: SIX) has entered a collaboration with Ascletis Pharmaceuticals, a USA- and China-based biotech firm, to develop and commercialize Roche’s investigational drug danoprevir in China for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV), a drug candidate acquired by the Swiss pharma major from InterMune in a $175 million deal (The Pharma Letter October 7, 2010.

Under the terms of the agreement, financial terms of which were not disclosed, Ascletis will fund and be responsible for the development, regulatory affairs and manufacturing of danoprevir in greater China, including Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, and receive payments on reaching certain development and commercial milestones from Roche. Ascletis and Roche will collaborate for the clinical development and the commercialization. The contract also involves royalties.

Commenting on the deal, Luke Miels, head of Roche Pharmaceuticals Asia Pacific, said: “Our strategy is based on bringing innovative, differentiated medicines to patients. The decision to develop danoprevir based on its promising profile in HCV Genotype 1b, and to do this via collaboration with our partner Ascletis represents another example of this strategy in action.”