GSK willing to pay big for Anacor's anti-infectives

GlaxoSmithKline is buying into Anacor Pharmaceuticals' research work, inking a deal to in-license boron-containing small molecule anti-infective drug candidates. In a distinctly back-loaded pact, Anacor gets $12 million up front and a $10 million equity investment with hundreds of millions of dollars in potential milestones for each of a slate of drug prospects. Glaxo gets to pick experimental products aimed at up to four discovery targets, with an option to license therapies after proof-of-concept. A successful development program can earn Palo Alto, CA-based Anacor up to $331 million in milestone payments on each of those drug candidates. Ancora was a 2007 Fierce 15 company.

- see the release on the deal

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