Biocon, Amylin Pharma tie up to develop new diabetes drug

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Bangalore, Sept. 11:

Biocon Ltd on Friday said it had tied up with Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to jointly develop, make and market a novel peptide drug to treat diabetes.

They would share the unspecified development costs. The resultant drug could significantly improve on existing therapies, Biocon said in a media release.

Biocon will conduct research, trials and manufacture of the potential drug based on Amylin's 'phybrid' or peptide hybrid technology: the Amylin technology can combine two hormones into one potential drug. Interestingly, amylin is also a pair hormone that the body secretes along with insulin.

Biocon's scrip on the BSE gained a rupee to close at Rs 235. Ms Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairman and Managing Director of Biocon, said, "Amylin's knowledge of peptide therapeutics and their leadership in the diabetes market, paired with Biocon's capabilities in process development, manufacturing and clinical development, provides this global programme with the potential to effectively bring a novel therapy to (diabetics)."

Amylin holds the market rights in North America, Biocon in South Asia, most of East Asia and the Gulf region and in other markets, they will commercialise jointly. The two are discussing early-stage manufacturing feasibility programmes and other opportunities to work together.

Amylin's President and CEO, Mr Daniel M. Bradbury, said, "This programme could unleash the potential of cutting-edge peptide science to transform the lives of patients with diabetes."

Amylin has two anti-diabetic drugs Simlin and Byetta to its credit and also works in the areas of metabolism and obesity.

Taken from Business Line

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