Takeda to purchase Intellikine for up to US$310m
Californian firm has a portfolio of small molecule kinase inhibitors
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company has agreed to buy Intellikine, a privately held developer of small molecule drugs for US$310m.
Intellikine, based in La Jolla, California, US, has a portfolio of small molecule kinase inhibitors that selectively target isoforms of the phosphoinositide-3 kinase/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K1/mTOR2) pathway.
The firm’s most advanced drug candidate, INK128, a novel mTORC1/2 inhibitor, has generated encouraging data in multiple Phase I studies and is expected to enter Phase II studies in 2012.
INK1117, a novel and selective inhibitor of the PI3Kα isoform, entered human clinical testing in September 2011.
Takeda said INK128 and INK1117 are potential best-in-class inhibitors of critical pathways driving cancer cell growth.
‘As single agents or in different combinations with novel molecules within our robust pipeline, we anticipate that these assets will be able to deliver transforming therapies to cancer patients,’ said Deborah Dunsire, president and ceo of Millennium, Takeda’s business unit responsible for global oncology strategy and development
Under the deal Takeda America Holdings, a wholly owned subsidiary of Takeda, will pay $190m upfront and up to $120m in additional milestone payments.
