Intarcia Therapeutics and the California Institute for Biomedical Research said today that the 2 groups will collaborate to develop a peptide therapeutic for patients with type II diabetes and obesity. The drug will be derived from Calibr’s stapled-peptide technology platform, combined with Intarcia’s late stage investigational GLP-1 therapy and delivered using the match-sized Medici osmotic pump.
According to the deal, Calibr will receive an upfront grant of Intarcia equity and additional shares vesting over key development milestones. Calibr could also earn undisclosed cash payments after reaching predetermined regulatory and sales milestones, as well as tiered royalties on product sales.
“We are committed to disruptive innovation leveraging our proprietary Medici Drug Delivery System and we now have several combination products in our pipeline that we believe we can uniquely optimize and deliver in a once- or twice-yearly mini-pump,” Intarcia Therapeutics chairman, president & CEO Kurt Graves said in prepared remarks. ” We’re excited to advance a combination program with Calibr that is targeting significant advances for patients suffering from type 2 diabetes and obesity.”
“This collaboration is another example of Calibr’s drive to work with innovative partners who are committed to making a difference in human health,” Calibr’s chief operating officer Matt Tremblay added. “We look forward to working with Intarcia to leverage our peptide technology platform to create transformative new medicines.”
The company said in December that it raised $206m in a Series EE round and landed a deal with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to fight HIV. Cambridge, Mass.-based Intarcia said the investment from the Gates involves an initial $50 million contribution for the HIV project and an additional $90 million in non-dilutive grants associated with milestones for the program.
