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Print Edition StoriesMonday, November 9, 2009
Concert Pharmaceuticals to land $12M from HIV drug's clinical study
By Mass High Tech staff
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Lexington-based Concert Pharmaceuticals Inc. has announced the start of a Phase 1B clinical study of its HIV infection treatment, CTP-518. As part of the clinical study process, Concert will receive $12 million in milestone payments from GlaxoSmithKline, part of the larger GSK deal that could bring Concert up to $1 billion.
The clinical study will look at CTP-518’s dosage levels and the oral inhibitor’s ability to hold blood concentration levels without a boosting agent. If the drug succeeds in maintaining therapeutic blood concentration levels, it could potentially replace current HIV treatments requiring ritonavir, a booster, that adds expense and possible side effects.
According to Concert Pharmaceuticals officials, the company may seek an exclusive, worldwide license for CTP-518. If it does, GSK would be responsible for the drug’s development and commercialization, under the collaboration deal with Concert. The GSK deal focuses on the collaboration of drugs based on the hydrogen isotope deuterium. In May, Concert was awarded a patent on a method of separating the deuterium analogs rimonabant and mosapride from seawater. The company uses deuterium to develop new medicines for HIV/AIDS, renal disease and cardiovascular disease.
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