Novartis to collaborate with Hybridon

Novartis has inked a collaboration deal with Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Hybridon to develop immune modulatory compounds for asthma and allergies. In the deal, Novartis will fund research into the IMOs and pay up to $136 million in milestones and other fees for a successful product launch. The compounds are intended to act as agonists for Toll-like receptor 9 to produce an immune response capable of warding off asthma and allergy.

"There is a pressing need to develop more effective methods of treating asthma and allergies, both of which are large and growing medical problems," said Sudhir Agrawal, CEO and chief scientific officer of Hybridon. "We believe that our IMO technology can be used to develop immune modulatory compounds to address the underlying conditions of these diseases and result in novel treatments for these serious unmet medical needs. We are optimistic that our DNA chemistry expertise coupled with Novartis' strength in research and development plus their track record of bringing new products to market can contribute substantially to the success of this program."

- read this press release for more