Pfizer to partner with MicuRx, Cumencor on TB drugs

Antibiotics developer MicuRx Pharmaceuticals and Cumencor Pharmaceuticals have entered a collaboration with Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) to discover novel therapeutic agents to treat multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. China-based Cumencor is applying MicuRx's proprietary technology platform to discover and develop novel antibiotics for MDR-TB.

Under the terms of the agreement, Pfizer will provide an upfront payment, funding for the discovery and preclinical development of novel antibiotics to treat MDR-TB, and payments linked to the development and commercialization of any antibiotics developed through the collaboration. All collaboration research will be conducted at the ZhangJiang High-Tech Park in Shanghai, China.

"We are extremely pleased to join forces with Pfizer, a world-class pharmaceutical company that has developed numerous successful antibiotics to treat infectious disease worldwide," says Zhengyu Yuan, president and CEO of MicuRx. "With the rapid increase of MDR-TB incidence in the emerging markets including China, we believe that it is critical to pursue development of new therapeutic options for patients suffering from this devastating disease around the world."

The agreement comes at the same time Pfizer announced it will conduct more research on Asian populations in coming years to design drugs for diseases prevalent in the region, such as cancers of the liver and head and neck, Reuters reports.

- see the press release
- check out Reuters' coverage