Radius acquires Ipsen's BA058 to develop osteoporosis treatment

By E. Janene Geiss

Philadelphia, Dec. 13 - Radius announced Tuesday that it entered into a licensing agreement with Ipsen through which Radius has acquired the exclusive worldwide rights to develop, manufacture and distribute the molecule BA058 and its analogs, along with rights to several Ipsen novel formulation technologies.

The license is on a worldwide basis with the exception of Japan, where Ipsen previously granted an exclusive license to the Japanese company Teijin, according to a company news release.

Radius said it will pay Ipsen undisclosed upfront and milestone payments linked to development and registration of the product, and royalties calculated on a pro rata sales basis.

BA058 is an analog of PTHrP (parathyroid hormone-related protein) and is in phase 1 clinical trials for the treatment of osteoporosis.

Officials said there is increasing evidence that human PTHrP is a critical cytokine in the regulation of bone metabolism and bone mass. BA058 is related to hPTHrP and has demonstrated in preclinical testing the potential to widen the anabolic window for bone therapeutics, stimulating bone formation with a limited effect on bone resorption.

This could enable improved convenience over currently available anabolic therapies, resulting in greater compliance and greater benefit to patients, officials said.

"BA058 has the potential to become an important new anabolic therapy for osteoporosis. We are developing it to build new bone in patients with significant bone loss, to reduce the risk of fractures. In addition, we intend to develop BA058 with more convenient dosing than is currently available for an anabolic bone therapy," said C. Richard Lyttle, president and chief executive officer of Radius, in the release.

Osteoporosis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in elderly people worldwide. In the United States, more than 44 million men and women have osteoporosis, or low bone-mineral density.

Radius is a Cambridge, Mass., pharmaceutical company focused on development of a new generation of drug therapies for osteoporosis and women's health.

Ipsen is a Paris-based pharmaceutical company with a focus on oncology, endocrinology and neuromuscular disorders.

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