Liquidia and GSK Restructure Collaboration Agreement
Liquidia Technologies announced that it has amended its collaboration agreement with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for the development and commercialization of pharmaceuticals based upon the Company’s proprietary PRINT technology delivered through the inhalation route of administration.
The amended collaboration agreement provides the Company with the right to develop and commercialize three additional PRINT®-based therapeutics delivered via inhalation. Additionally, under the amended collaboration agreement, the Company can acquire rights to pursue additional PRINT®-based programs for inhalation therapy, subject to GSK’s approval. The amended collaboration agreement provides GSK with a right of first negotiation prior to the Company entering into a license agreement with a third party for any GSK-approved program developed under this amended collaboration agreement. Any new PRINT®-based therapeutic delivered via inhalation developed by the Company under the amended collaboration agreement would carry milestone and royalty obligations due to GSK, beginning with the initiation of a Phase 3 clinical trial. Prior to entering into the amended collaboration agreement, GSK maintained exclusive rights to develop and commercialize any PRINT®-based therapeutic delivered via inhalation, with the exception of LIQ861, the Company’s Phase 3 product candidate for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).
Neal Fowler, CEO of Liquidia, stated: “We are very excited by the opportunity to build on the benefits of PRINT® technology in inhaled delivery, as evidenced by the success of our clinical studies with LIQ861, the first inhaled dry powder formulation of treprostinil to treat patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. Although submitting the New Drug Application (NDA) for LIQ861 remains our top priority in 2019, we also see clear opportunities to further expand the Liquidia pipeline of respiratory products.”