MedImmune is advancing a pipeline of promising candidates in the areas of infectious disease, oncology and immunology. We are also actively seeking new opportunities and technologies to add to this pipeline. To date, we have formed several collaboration and licensing agreements with companies whose technology or therapeutic targets are strategically positioned to augment our own research and development initiatives. Several of our current R&D collaborations are listed below.

Avalon Pharmaceuticals
Avidia, Inc.
Biota Holdings Limited
Burnham Institute
Cerus Corporation
Critical Therapeutics, Inc.
Georgetown University
Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Medarex, Inc.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Micromet AG
Seattle Genetics, Inc.
VasGene Therapeutics, Inc.
Xencor, Inc.

See also: Strategic Alliances

Information about MedImmune's R&D collaborations is updated on a quarterly basis, based on publicly available information. Although we make a good faith effort to keep this content as current as possible, we do not have a duty to update information posted on our web site, and we will not be liable for any failure to update such information.

Cerus Corporation
MedImmune and Cerus Corporation entered into an agreement in April 2004 to develop and commercialize a novel therapeutic vaccine designed to treat cancers of the breast, prostate and colon, as well as metastatic melanomas. Cerus’ vaccine technology can be engineered to target specific cancer antigens and has been shown to include potent and specific immune responses in laboratory tests. The technology complements MedImmune’s existing program targeting the EphA2 protein, which is overexpressed in many types of cancer.

Critical Therapeutics, Inc.
In July 2003, MedImmune and Critical Therapeutics, Inc. (CRTX) entered into an agreement to co-develop biologic products targeting a novel pro-inflammatory cytokine to treat severe inflammatory diseases. The agreement calls for MedImmune and CRTX to collaborate on research and development of antibodies and other drug products targeting the High Mobility Group Box Chromosomal Plan Protein 1 (HMGB-1), which is believed to be involved in the tissue damage associated with a range of inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and sepsis. The companies plan to focus on developing drug products with the potential to block HMGB-1.

Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
In August 2006, Infinity and MedImmune entered into an agreement to jointly develop and commercialize novel small molecule cancer drugs targeting Hsp90 and the Hedgehog cell-signaling pathway. The collaboration is focused on inhibitors of Hsp90, including IPI-504 which is in Phase I/II clinical trials, as well as next-generation oral versions of IPI-504, and a series of molecules targeting the Hedgehog cell signaling pathway.

Medarex, Inc.
In November 2004, MedImmune and Medarex, Inc. entered into a collaboration agreement to develop and commercialize antibodies for treatment of autoimmune diseases. The two antibodies currently being developed, MEDI-545 (formerly MDX-1103) and and MEDI-546 (formerly MDX-1333), are believed to target the interferon-alpha and the type 1 interferon receptor, respectively. Experimental data shows that the interferon-alpha and the type 1 interferon receptor may be involved with lupus disease activity.

Micromet AG
MedImmune and Micromet AG entered into an agreement in June 2003 to jointly develop Micromet’s B cell tumor drug, MT-103. The most advanced representative of a novel class of antibody derivatives called BiTE™, MT-103 directs and activates the patients’ own T cells against tumor cells, targeting a protein that is present on the large majority of B cells but not on other types of blood cells or healthy tissues. MT-103 may therefore have the potential to be applied to the treatment of all B cell-related leukemias and lymphomas.

Seattle Genetics, Inc.
MedImmune and Seattle Genetics, Inc. entered into a collaboration agreement in April 2005 for use of Seattle Genetics' antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) technology, which utilizes the targeting abilities of monoclonal antibodies with proprietary linker systems to deliver potent drug payloads to specific cells. Under the terms of the agreement, MedImmune has rights to utilize ADC technology with antibodies against a single tumor target and may opt to use ADC technology in a second proprietary antibody program.