Pfizer exercises option to develop NicOx ophthalmology compound

By Angela McDaniels

Seattle, Nov 22 - NicOx SA said Pfizer Inc. has chosen one of its proprietary compounds for further development work.

NicOx will receive a €2 million payment from Pfizer, the company said.

"We are delighted that our joint research collaboration with Pfizer has resulted in the successful identification of a lead candidate for development in only 15 months," NicOx chairman and chief executive officer Michele Garufi said in a company news release.

Pfizer and NicOx were jointly responsible for this research project, in which a number of nitric oxide-donating compounds were synthesized and submitted to an extensive series of preclinical tests.

Several compounds successfully fulfilled a number of key criteria and demonstrated superior activity compared to reference compounds in established in vivo eye disease models, the agency said.

Now Pfizer has exercised its option to acquire an exclusive worldwide license to the proprietary NicOx compounds covered by the collaboration agreement focused on novel nitric oxide-donating compounds in ophthalmology. Specifically, Pfizer has selected a candidate for development and will fund and be responsible for all future work on this compound.

The research, option, development and licensing agreement between Pfizer and NicOx was signed in August 2004 and granted Pfizer an option to acquire a worldwide license to the nitric oxide-donating compounds under study, with exclusive development and commercialization rights.

Including the €2 million payment, NicOx said it will have received €4 million from Pfizer in connection with this agreement and stands to receive a further €33 million, plus royalties, if the collaboration results in the successful commercial development of a product.

NicOx, headquartered in Sophia-Antipolis, France, is a pharmaceutical company that develops nitric oxide-donating drugs for the treatment of inflammation, pain and cardiovascular disease.

Pfizer develops prescription medicines for humans and animals and is based in New York.

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