Bayer to link up with Sprint Bioscience on tumour metabolism programme

Published: 28-Jul-2015

Sprint will receive an upfront payment from Bayer and is eligible to receive up to €190m in milestones


Bayer has entered into a collaboration and licensing agreement with Sprint Bioscience of Stockholm, Sweden for the research, development, and commercialisation of oncological drug candidates.

Under the agreement, Sprint Bioscience will license an early-stage inhibitor programme targeting tumour metabolism to Bayer. Subsequently, Bayer will have full control over further development and worldwide commercialisation rights for potential cancer therapeutics and diagnostics.

Sprint Bioscience is eligible to receive up to approximately €190m in potential preclinical, clinical and net sales based milestone payments, including an upfront payment from Bayer upon signing of the agreement.

The company is also eligible to receive royalties on worldwide net sales of any resulting products under the collaboration.

Professor Andreas Busch, Head of Global Drug Discovery and member of the Executive Committee of Bayer HealthCare, said: 'Bayer is committed to translating the findings of cancer research into effective therapies to improve the quality of life of patients. Addressing the metabolism of cancer cells is a promising approach in oncology and one of our focus areas in cancer research at Bayer.

'We are looking forward to expanding our portfolio in this area through the agreement with Sprint Bioscience. This early research programme has the potential to lead to new treatment options for cancer patients.'

As a result of a tumour's uncontrolled growth, cancer cells exhibit an altered metabolism (tumour metabolism) and thereby are often resistant to conventional radiation- and chemotherapy. Sprint Bioscience has developed molecules inhibiting a novel metabolic target, which is vital for cancer cell survival. Such inhibitors can potentially lead to effective new treatments by selectively affecting cancer cells.

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