Trovagene licenses potential AML candidate from Nerviano

US biotech firm Trovagene (Nasdaq: TROV) and Nerviano Medical Sciences (NMS), a leading Italian oncology discovery organization, have signed a license agreement that grants Trovagene exclusive global development and commercialization rights to NMS-1286937, which Trovagene refers to as PCM-075.

PCM-075 is an oral, investigative drug and a highly-selective adenosine triphosphate (ATP) competitive inhibitor of the serine/threonine polo-like-kinase 1 (PLK 1). Trovagene plans to develop PCM-075 initially in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), where both Trovagene and Nerviano believe PCM-075's target selectivity for PLK1, along with its oral availability, and shorter half-life as compared to other polo-like-kinase inhibitors, may be advantageous features of the drug.

Under the terms of the license agreement, Trovagene will assume sole responsibility for global development and commercialization of PCM-075. Nerviano will receive an upfront payment of $2.0 million, as well as development and regulatory-based milestone payments and royalty payments on future net sales of PCM-075. Nerviano is the current manufacturer for bulk and finished drug for PCM-075 and Trovagene has all rights to manufacture bulk and finished goods.