Gilead Sciences and GlaxoSmithKline Modify Terms of License Agreement for NX 211, Gilead's Investigational Compound for the Treatment of Cancer.Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--Jan. 16, 2001 Gilead Sciences Gilead Sciences NASDAQ: GILD is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes therapeutics to advance the care of patients suffering from life-threatening diseases. , Inc. (Nasdaq:GILD) today announced that the company and GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :GSK GSK GlaxoSmithKline plc (pharmaceutical company) GSK Glycogen Synthase Kinase GSK Gruppentraining Sozialer Kompetenzen (Germany) GSK Greenland Shark (FAO fish species code) ) have modified their license agreement for NX 211, Gilead's investigational compound for the treatment of cancer. Under the revised terms of the agreement, GlaxoSmithKline has waived its right to participate in the development and commercialization of NX 211, giving Gilead exclusive rights to the compound. Gilead and GlaxoSmithKline have also modified the financial terms of the license agreement by eliminating Gilead's royalty obligations on product sales in exchange for one-time milestone payments that Gilead would pay to GlaxoSmithKline upon certain regulatory approvals of the product. The modification of the agreement between Gilead and GlaxoSmithKline was required for U.S. Federal Trade Commission clearance of the merger between Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham. NX 211 is a liposomal formulation of the anti-cancer agent lurtotecan. Gilead is currently evaluating NX 211 as a potential treatment for patients with recurrent ovarian cancer ovarian cancer Malignant tumour of the ovaries. Risk factors include early age of first menstruation (before age 12), late onset of menopause (after age 52), absence of pregnancy, presence of specific genetic mutations, use of fertility drugs, and personal history of breast and small cell lung cancer Lung Cancer, Small Cell Definition Small cell lung cancer is a disease in which the cells of the lung tissues grow uncontrollably and form tumors. Description Lung cancer is divided into two main types: small cell and non-small cell. . Three Phase II clinical trials have been initiated in these target indications. Gilead licensed worldwide rights to lurtotecan from Glaxo Wellcome in 1998. Lurtotecan functions by inhibiting topoisomerase topoisomerase an enzyme involved in DNA replication that introduces a single-strand nick in the DNA enabling it to swivel and thereby relieve the accumulated winding strain generated during unwinding of the double helix. I, an enzyme in the cell nucleus involved in the unwinding of DNA DNA: see nucleic acid. DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid One of two types of nucleic acid (the other is RNA); a complex organic compound found in all living cells and many viruses. It is the chemical substance of genes. segments. By inhibiting topoisomerase I, NX 211 may prevent DNA from unwinding, thereby preventing cell replication. Gilead Sciences, Inc., headquartered in Foster City, CA, is an independent biopharmaceutical company that seeks to provide accelerated solutions for patients and the people who care for them. Gilead discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes proprietary therapeutics for challenging infectious diseases infectious diseases: see communicable diseases. (viral, fungal and bacterial infections) and cancer. Gilead maintains research, development or manufacturing facilities in Foster City, CA; Boulder, CO; San Dimas, CA; Cambridge, UK and Dublin, Ireland and sales and marketing organizations in the United States, Europe and Australia. For more information about Gilead, please visit www.gilead.com. GlaxoSmithKline -- one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies -- is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. For more information on Gilead Sciences, please call the Gilead Corporate Communications Department at 1-800/GILEAD-5 (1-800/445-3235) or visit the corporate Web site at www.gilead.com |
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