Lead Pharma nabs 260 million-euro license deal

Clinical stage Dutch firm Lead Pharma has entered into a collaboration and license agreement to develop oral small molecules to treat a broad range of immune mediated diseases.

In this single target research collaboration Lead Pharma and Swiss pharma giant Roche (ROG: SIX) will collaborate in research activities up to the selection of a pre-clinical candidate after which Roche will be responsible for further development and global commercialization.

Under the terms of the agreement, Lead Pharma will receive an upfront payment of 10 million euros ($11.8 million), and will be eligible to for research funding and pre-clinical milestone payments; total potential payments including research, development, regulatory and sales milestones may add up to an aggregate of 260 million euros on worldwide sales.