Business
Animalcare and Orthros form VHH R&D collaboration
Animalcare and Orthros form VHH R&D collaboration.
About this update from Animalcare Group Plc
[{"type":"text","content":"\n \n \n \n RNS Number : 8256F\n Animalcare Group PLC\n 24 March 2022\n \n \n \n \n ANIMALCARE GROUP PLC\n \n \n \n \n \n (the \"Company\" or the \"Group\")\n \n \n \n \n \n Animalcare partners with Orthros Medical in VHH antibody research and development for treatment of canine osteoarthritis\n \n \n \n \n \n Early development pipeline strengthened in target therapy area through licensing and investment in novel treatments utilising VHH antibodies \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 24 March 2022.\n \n Animalcare Group plc (AIM: ANCR) today announced that it has entered into two early-stage agreements with Netherlands-based Orthros Medical, a company focused on the research and early development of VHH antibodies, also known as small single chain antibody fragments. \n \n \n \n \n Through the collaboration, Animalcare secures a global exclusive licence from Orthros Medical for two preclinical VHH candidates initially addressing canine osteoarthritis. Additionally, the Group is entering into a research and development agreement with Orthros Medical with the objective of adding further projects to the licence agreement. \n \n \n \n \n Under the terms of the deal, Animalcare will make upfront payments to Orthros Medical totalling €500,000 and will fund some early research activities as part of the collaboration. As the two licensed preclinical candidates progress, Orthros Medical may receive development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments up to a total value of €11 million as well as single digit royalties on net sales of the products. These payments are expected to be paid out of the Group's operating cash flow.\n \n \n \n \n \n The licensed candidates will be developed as mono and combination therapy for local application in osteoarthritic joints to enable pain relief and, potentially, disease modification. The candidate profiles are complementary to Daxocox, the Group's COX-2 inhibitor approved for the treatment of osteoarthritis-related pain in dogs.\n \n \n \n \n \n Found in llamas and other camelids, small single chain fragments of the variable domain of heavy-chain only antibodies (VHH) offer new\n opportunities for the research and development of innovative drug treatments for use in human and animal patients.\n \n \n VHH antibodies feature significant therapeutic advantages...