Taylor Wessing advises Biota on RSV collaboration and licence agreement
Taylor Wessing's Life Sciences & Healthcare Group has advised new client Biota Holdings Limited, a leading anti-infective drug development company, on the assignment of its 2005 Collaboration and Licence Agreement from MedImmune to AstraZeneca and extension of its RSV research and development programme. AstraZeneca has also been granted rights to a number of Asian and Pacific territories not held by MedImmune under the original agreement, in respect of which Biota will receive an additional US $3.5 million payment, together with future royalties.
The Collaboration and Licence Agreement relates to a series of antivirals aimed at the treatment of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the most common respiratory infection in infancy or childhood. The assignment of the agreement results in part from AstraZeneca’s acquisition of MedImmune in 2007. Under the agreement, all existing milestone and royalty entitlements are preserved and Biota's research and development programme has been extended. The lead candidate entered Phase I clinical trials in July 2007, with Phase I studies still continuing.
Daniel Pavin, a partner in Taylor Wessing's Life Sciences & Healthcare Group, advised Biota, along with senior associate, Tim Worden.
Daniel comments:
"This was our first instruction from Biota. We are delighted to have assisted this exciting, highly innovative, company on this strategically significant deal, which sees AstraZeneca become one of Biota’s licensees and collaboration partners."
Taylor Wessing's extensive Life Sciences & Healthcare Group is a multi-disciplinary group combining lawyers from Taylor Wessing’s intellectual property, corporate, competition, dispute resolution, employment and real estate practices. The Group’s clients include Abbott, Amgen, Biocompatibles and Oxford BioMedica.
Taylor Wessing is top ranked in the Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology section of UK Legal 500, top ranked in the Life Sciences section of UK Chambers, top ranked in the IP and Commercial and Partnering sections of Practical Law Company’s Life Sciences Handbook and was voted European Life Sciences IP Firm of the Year at the Managing Intellectual Property Awards 2008.
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For more information please contact Sarah le Cheminant at Taylor Wessing:
Tel: +44 (0)20 7300 4930
Email: s.lecheminant@taylorwessing.com
Taylor Wessing LLP is a leading law firm providing legal support for commercial organisations doing business in Europe, the Middle East and China. Based in Belgium, Dubai, France, Germany and the UK, Taylor Wessing provides the full range of legal services to major corporations and growing enterprises.
Biota is a leading anti-infective drug development company based in Melbourne Australia, with key expertise in respiratory diseases, particularly influenza. Biota developed the first-in-class neuraminidase inhibitor, zanamivir, subsequently marketed by GlaxoSmithKline as Relenza. Biota research breakthroughs have included a series of candidate drugs aimed at treatment of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease, licensed to AstraZeneca and novel nucleoside analogues designed to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections, licensed to Boehringer Ingelheim.
AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare business engaged in research, development, manufacturing and marketing of prescription pharmaceuticals and supplier for healthcare services. AstraZeneca is one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies with healthcare sales of US $29.55 billion and is a leader in gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neuroscience, respiratory, oncology and infection product sales. AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (Global) as well as the FTSE4Good Index. For more information visit www.astrazeneca.com.