Lilly licenses Glenmark's TRPV1 blocker portfolio

US drug major Eli Lilly has entered into an agreement with Switzerland-based Glenmark Pharmaceuticals SA, which is wholly-owned by Mumbai, India-headquartered Glenmark. Under the terms of the deal, Lilly will acquire the rights to a portfolio of transient receptor potential vanilloid sub-family 1 (TRPV1) antagonist molecules, including GRC 6211, which is currently in early clinical Phase II development as a potential next-generation treatment for various pain conditions, including osteoarthritis.

Under the terms of the deal, Glenmark will receive an upfront fee of $45.0 million and could get up to an additional $215.0 million in potential development and sales milestones for the initial indication, as well as royalties on sales if GRC 6211 is successfully commercialized. If other indications are successfully developed, Glenmark would be entitled to additional milestones up to $90.0 million. Lilly will have marketing rights for North America, Europe and Japan, while Glenmark will retain them in all other countries, as well as the right to co-promote GRC 6211 in the USA. Other terms of the deal were not disclosed.

William Chin, Lilly vice president, discovery research and clinical investigation, said: "we believe that TRPV1 represents a promising pathway for pain research. GRC 6211 has shown good potential in early-phase development and will be a strong addition to our own internal pipeline of potential pain molecules."