Acucela Inc. and  Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. have entered  into a
definitive agreement to co-develop and  co-promote OPA-6566, an adenosine A2a
receptor agonist discovered and currently
under development by Otsuka for the treatment of glaucoma, in the United States.

Under the agreement, Otsuka will contract Acucela to perform
early  clinical development of OPA-6566
in the United States
and grant  Acucela an opt-in right to
co-develop and co-promote the compound. In 
the event and after Acucela exercises the opt-in right, Otsuka and  Acucela will co-develop the compound sharing
the cost incurred and  co-promote the
resulted product in the United
States after regulatory  approval. Upon Acucela exercising its opt-in
right, Otsuka will  receive a certain
amount of pre-determined opt-in fee and milestone  payments.

The compound OPA-6566 is currently under preclinical study,
with  clinical development scheduled to
begin next year.

Acucela’s chairman, president and chief executive officer,
Ryo Kubota,  M.D., Ph.D., commented,
“We are pleased to further strengthen our 
partnership with Otsuka with this new agreement, which further  broadens Acucela’s portfolio of potential eye
treatments for patients  with blinding
eye diseases and represents an important step forward in  our growth strategy. The number of patients
with glaucoma is expected  to increase
throughout the world and, with its novel mechanism of  action, OPA-6566 has the potential to provide
a new value not found in  conventional
glaucoma medications. We look forward to leveraging our  deep understanding of glaucoma and clinical
development expertise to  advance
OPA-6566 into human clinical trials.” 
“Over the last few years, Acucela and Otsuka have built a strong  strategic partnership to jointly pursue
development efforts to deliver  two
innovative ophthalmologic drugs to patients – Acucela-discovered  ACU-4429, being developed for dry age-related
macular degeneration,  and
Otsuka-discovered Rebamipide ophthalmic suspension, being  developed for dry eye,” stated, Taro
Iwamoto, Ph.D., president of  Otsuka Pharmaceutical.
“We are delighted to expand our working 
relationship with Acucela, and underline our new found resolve to  develop OPA-6566 as a novel treatment for
patients with glaucoma.”