Single Licensing Deal ?From the Nov 7th CC,
Our plan is to pursue a single licensing deal for both of our breast cancer, pancreatic cancer programs allows us to minimize our clinical and commercial risk will providing upside throughout from payments, milestones and royalties.
I was under the impression that ONC wanted to do licencing in order to have as many BP involved as possible providing more exposure, more options, etc. Not just one BP. Multiple BP licencing would seemed to open the door to have Pfizer go mBC and ROCHE go Gastro. All good and great exposure leaving all kinds of options with various BP.
But ONC states they are seeking a single licenced BP for both Phase III registration trials.
And, I see ROCHE or Pfizer in a battle for partnership in the event of licencing agreement as they are most in the forefront with ONC to date.
This raises a questions that I do not have the answer to...
Pfizer is not involved with the GOBLET at all to my understanding, and ROCHE is the only BP involved with GOBLET to my understanding. So how does Pfizer jump into and run a Phase III Gastro trial when their drugs have not been used within the Phase II Goblet trail?
Pfizer as the licence BP partner would have to acquire ROCHE's drugs to be able to move the Phase III Gastro trial forward as the ROCHE drugs are what was used in the Phase I/II Goblet trial.
I supposed Pfizer would then run Phase III Gastro as the Licenced Pelareoprep supplier/ONC partner and work with ROCHE through the trial. In the end, ROCHE would have an approved combination drug therapy for Gastro and I assume share the combination drug therapy patent with ONC, Pfizer and Roche ?
Just seems messy, with too many fingers in the patent pie splitting profits, etc. on the Gastro side, and seems to put ROCHE in a better position for running both trials as the Licencee/Partner, as ROCHE has been involved in both mBC and Gastro trials using ROCHE drugs.
Of course I would prefer a buyout, and ONC will not talk about a buyout until it is formally on the table, if that actually occurs.
But curious... does this single Licencee partnership agreement for both trtials tip the scales in ROCHE's direction ? IMHO it would seem too...
Thoughts ?