MedImmune inks $342M collaboration on diabetes program

MedImmune is paying close to $7 million and promising $335 million more to partner up with Evotec on new research into regenerating insulin-producing beta cells. The German biotech says that the technology has the potential to prevent or reverse the development of diabetes.

In addition to the potential milestones Evotec will also receive research payments to support further in vivo and in vitro pharmacology efforts conducted in collaboration with MedImmune, the biotech arm of AstraZeneca. This is Evotec's first pact covering the beta cell program.

"The loss of insulin producing beta cells is tightly linked to the development of diabetes," says Dr. Cord Dohrmann, the chief scientific officer of Evotec. "Using a unique screening approach for beta cell regeneration targets, we have identified and validated novel and highly relevant biological factors. The most advanced factor has demonstrated efficacy in animal models of beta cell regeneration in particular increasing the functional beta cell mass and thereby improving and restoring glycemic control."

- here's the MedImmune release