Roche signs $470M HCV deal with InterMune

Swiss drug major Roche and California, USA-based biotechnology firm InterMune have entered into an exclusive worldwide collaboration agreement to develop and commercialize products from the latter's hepatitis C virus protease inhibitor program, which includes InterMune's lead drug candidate, ITMN-191.

The companies will also collaborate on a research program to identify, develop and commercialize novel second-generation HCV protease inhibitors. Roche will exclusively license ITMN-191, which is expected to enter clinical trials before the end of the year, and will have the right to exclusively license further HCV protease inhibitor development candidates resulting from the research collaboration. For ITMN-191, InterMune will conduct Phase I studies and, thereafter, Roche will lead clinical development and commercialization.

Upon closing of the deal, InterMune will receive an upfront payment of $60.0 million and, assuming the successful development and commercialization of ITMN-191 in the USA and other countries, it could potentially receive up to $470.0 million in milestones, including $35.0 million within the next 12 months. Roche will fund 67% of the global development costs and the companies will co-commercialize the product in the USA and share profits on a 50-50 basis. InterMune will receive royalties outside the USA and may opt out of either co-development or co-commercialization for ITMN-191, in which case it would receive higher royalties on ex-US sales and royalties instead of profit sharing in America. Further financial terms were not disclosed.