Drug firm Glenmark Pharmaceuticals today said it has received exclusive license to the entire intellectual property of Italian biotechnology firm, Lay Line Genomics (LLG) for a specific process for treating chronic pain and inflammation.
The license for the process involving 'TrkA receptors' has been granted to the company's wholly owned subsidiary Glenmark Pharmaceuticals SA (GPSA), the company said in a statement.
TrkA receptor is part of a master control system in the spread of inflammation and pain. Its inhibition has the potential to be applicable for the treatment of various forms of chronic pain.
The licensed assets include monoclonal antibody BXL1H5 that binds to TrkA receptors. The license includes the license to commercialise monoclonal antibodies against TrkA receptors.
"TrkA is a promising target and monoclonal antibodies specific for TrkA represent a first in class opportunity for chronic pain. The pain market is estimated at USD 26 billion ", the company said in a statement.
Glenmark said that anti-TrkA, a novel class of pain therapeutics, has a central role in pain mechanism and has the potential to address the unmet needs in pain therapy.
"We are excited to have been granted sole and exclusive license to commercialise monoclonal antibodies against the TrkA receptor for pain", Glenmark Pharmecuticals CEO and MD Glenn Saldanha said.
"Glenmark will leverage its expertise in monoclonal antibodies to progress BXL1H5 rapidly into clinical development", Saldanha added.
The company said it plans development of this novel biological entity (NBE) by its biologics R&D centre in Switzerland, which focuses on discovering and developing non biological entities.
Commenting on the licensing, Lay Line Genomics Director Ennio Esposito said, "We are extremely pleased that Glenmark Pharmaceuticals shares our excitement for the anti-TrkA project and look forward to the next stages of development with great enthusiasm".
Glenmark did not give the amount it will pay to Lay Line Genomics for the deal to undertake further development and commercialisation of BXL1H5.
Shares of Glenmark were trading at Rs 317.50 in the afternoon trade on the Bombay Stock Exchange up 0.95 per cent from its previous close.
