NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) today announced that it has entered into two separate agreements to license BMS-986168, an anti-eTau compound in development for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), to Biogen (NASDAQ:BIIB), and BMS-986089, an anti-myostatin adnectin in development for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), to Roche.
“Licensing these assets to Biogen and Roche will enable Bristol-Myers Squibb to prioritize the other promising opportunities for asset development that have advanced across our diversified portfolio,” said Mike Burgess, head of Cardiovascular, Fibrosis and Immunoscience Development, Bristol-Myers Squibb. “We recognize the significant unmet medical needs for patients with PSP and with DMD, and are pleased to put the future development of these compounds into the hands of Biogen and Roche, who both have strong capabilities, focus and leadership in neurodegenerative and rare diseases.”
Under the agreement to license BMS-986168, Biogen will pay to Bristol-Myers Squibb an upfront payment of $300 million with potential milestone payments of up to $410 million. Biogen also will assume all remaining obligations to the former stockholders of iPierian, Inc. related to Bristol-Myers Squibb’s acquisition of the company in 2014. Under the agreement to license BMS-986089, Roche will pay to Bristol-Myers Squibb an upfront payment of $170 million with potential milestone payments of up to $205 million. Bristol-Myers Squibb will receive tiered double-digit royalties if either asset is approved and commercialized. These agreements are subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, and are expected to close in the second quarter of 2017.
About BMS-986168 and BMS-986089
BMS-986168 is a monoclonal antibody designed to bind to and decrease levels of extracellular Tau (eTau) protein. It is currently being investigated as a treatment option for patients with PSP, with the potential for future development in other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.
BMS-986089 is a novel fusion protein designed to suppress myostatin, a negative regulator of muscle growth. It is currently being investigated as a treatment option for patients with DMD, and has the potential for study in other neuromuscular disorders.
About Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. For more information about Bristol-Myers Squibb, visit us at BMS.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Forward-Looking Statement
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding the research, development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and involve inherent risks and uncertainties, including factors that could delay, divert or change any of them, and could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from current expectations. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Among other risks, there can be no guarantee that the compounds discussed in this release will be successfully developed or approved for any of the indications described in this release. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect Bristol-Myers Squibb's business, particularly those identified in the cautionary factors discussion in Bristol-Myers Squibb's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and our Current Reports on Form 8-K. Bristol-Myers Squibb undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
