Mercator, Pepscan enter multi-program cancer research collaboration

Jan 4 2011

Mercator Therapeutics, the first biopharmaceutical company to systematically use in vivo phage display technology to develop novel cancer drugs and Pepscan Therapeutics, a world leader in protein mimicry technologies for improved therapeutic peptides and anti-GPCR antibodies, today announced a multi-program research collaboration. The companies will collaborate to optimize Mercator's 'Homing Peptides' using Pepscan's proprietary CLIPS technology.

“Pepscan's approach to peptide optimization is unique, systematic, fast, and efficient, and it provides Mercator with an opportunity to rapidly move its peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs) into development.”

Mercator's Homing Peptides are discovered through a unique in vivo screening process, including screening in consenting end-stage cancer patients. These peptides have been demonstrated in vivo to bind to receptors that are highly expressed on human tumors and induce internalization of both the peptide and the receptor. Pepscan's CLIPS technology will be applied to improve the potency and stability of peptides by locking the peptides into the biologically active conformation.

Dr. Roy Lobb, Chairman & CSO of Mercator, commented, "Pepscan's approach to peptide optimization is unique, systematic, fast, and efficient, and it provides Mercator with an opportunity to rapidly move its peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs) into development."

Under the terms of the Research and License Agreement between Mercator and Pepscan, Pepscan will increase the potency and stability of Mercator's Homing Peptides and license to Mercator the associated intellectual property rights. Mercator will pay Pepscan undisclosed research funding, milestones, and royalties in connection with the development of optimized Homing Peptides and the development and commercialization of PDC products that couple optimized Homing Peptides with tumor-killing payloads.

"Mercator is in a unique position to make a big difference in cancer treatment," said Dr. Wim Mol, CEO of Pepscan. "The Pepscan team is excited to work with Mercator on designing and building optimized targeting moieties for Mercator's PDCs. We see the promise of Mercator's technology, and we are pleased to help Mercator achieve that promise."