Briefs: New research deals for AstraZeneca and Novo Nordisk; Lundbeck's Selincro launched in Europe

Anglo-Swedish drug major AstraZeneca and BIND Therapeutics, a US clinical-stage biopharmaceutical, have entered into a strategic collaboration to develop and commercialize an Accurin, a targeted and programmable cancer nanomedicine from BIND’s Medicinal Nanoengineering platform, based on a molecularly targeted kinase inhibitor developed and owned by AstraZeneca.

BIND could receive upfront and pre-approval milestone payments totaling $69 million, and more than $130 million in regulatory and sales milestones and other payments as well as tiered single to double-digit royalties on future sales.

Under the terms of the deal, the companies will work together to complete Investigational New Drug-enabling studies of the lead Accurin, identified from a previously-completed feasibility program. AstraZeneca will then have exclusive development and commercialization rights, while BIND will lead manufacturing during the development phase. The collaboration is based on emerging data suggesting that nanomedicines like Accurins selectively accumulate in diseased tissues and cells, leading to higher drug concentrations at the site of the tumor and reduced exposure to healthy tissues