GSK strikes again, adding COPD candidate in $745m deal
PHARMAPHORUM—In its second pipeline-expanding deal in the space of 24 hours, GSK has licensed rights to a drug for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) from US biotech Empirico for $85 million upfront.
The agreement, which also includes up to $660 million in milestone payments, is focused on a small, interfering RNA (siRNA) candidate against an unspecified target, which according to GSK addresses “a distinct inflammatory pathway with enhanced potency and longer dose intervals.”
The drug, called EMP-012, has started phase 1 clinical testing and has been billed as having the potential to treat a broad spectrum of COPD, including patients with non-type 2 inflammation, who have limited treatment options.