NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) — Bristol-Myers Squibb and H3 Biomedicine said today that they have partnered to investigate the therapeutic potential of H3's RNA splicing technology.
H3 — a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based subsidiary of Japanese drugmaker Eisai — is developing personalized cancer treatments targeting genomic alterations, including aberrant RNA splicing.
Under the terms of their multi-year deal, the companies will use H3's RNA splicing platform to conduct joint research related to the development of cancer immunotherapies. Bristol-Myers, which is headquartered in New York City, will be responsible for the development and commercialization of resulting drug candidates, with H3 eligible for an unspecified upfront payment, as well as development, regulatory, and sales milestones plus royalties.
Eisai has also been given the option to co-develop and co-commercialize certain compounds that result from the alliance.
Additional terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
"H3 has deep expertise in defining the role of changes in RNA homeostasis that contribute to cancer," Percy Carter, head of discovery chemistry and molecular technologies at Bristol-Myers, said in a statement. "This collaboration will allow both companies to gain a deeper understanding about alterations in RNA splicing and an opportunity to discover new medicines that can potentially improve outcomes for patients."