Synergy Pharma gains rights to shingles drug from Bristol-Myers

US biopharma firm Synergy Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: SGYP) has signed an asset purchase agreement with Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) to acquire the assets related to FV-100, an orally available nucleoside analogue, currently being developed for the treatment of shingles, a severe, painful skin rash caused by reactivation of the varicella zoster virus - the virus that causes chickenpox.

B-MS, which will receive a reported upfront $1 million from the deal, acquired FV-100 through its $2.5 billion takeover of Inhibitex, which also gave it rights to the hepatitis C agent BMS-986094, development of which the drug major has just dropped (The Pharma Letter August 23). B-MS will also receive an undisclosed amount in milestones, plus royalties.

"FV-100 is a drug candidate we believe has great potential to treat patients suffering from shingles," said Gary Jacob, chief executive of Synergy, adding: "We believe that with our expanding clinical experience in utilizing patient-reported outcome tools from our GI program, a feature that will be necessary for supporting pain-related indications for FV-100, we are in a unique position to further develop FV-100 for patients not adequately treated with present-day therapy."