Glaukos Corporation, an ophthalmic medical technology and pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel surgical devices and sustained pharmaceutical therapies designed to transform the treatment of glaucoma, has entered into a research and development collaboration agreement with D. Western Therapeutics Institute (DWTI), a Japanese biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of innovative new drugs to serve patients worldwide.
Under the agreement, Glaukos and DWTI will conduct joint research for the development of novel intraocular products for the treatment of glaucoma using compounds from DWTI’s proprietary ROCK inhibitor compound library, one of DWTI’s fundamental technologies, and potentially design and synthesize new compounds for this collaboration. Glaukos will conduct the evaluation and development of the compounds.
“We are delighted to enter into this collaboration with D. Western, which has a proven track record of novel drug discovery and is highly regarded in the industry as the preeminent research organization for proprietary ROCK inhibitor compounds,” said Thomas Burns, Glaukos president and chief executive officer. “We are excited to commence the initial phases of this collaborative research effort to explore potential new compounds that may be used in our novel iDose drug delivery system in order to expand and improve the treatment of glaucoma.”
Per the agreement, DWTI will receive an upfront technology access fee and research support fees from Glaukos. In addition, if one or more candidate compounds are identified, Glaukos holds the exclusive right to develop novel intracameral and topical products using the compounds through a licensing arrangement with DWTI.
Glaucoma is characterized by progressive, irreversible and largely asymptomatic vision loss caused by optic nerve damage. There is no cure for the disease and reducing IOP is the only proven treatment. Based on analysis of population-based surveys, medical claims data, and other statistics, the company estimates that there are approximately 5.4 million people in the U.S. with primary open-angle glaucoma, the most common form of the disease.
(Source: Glaukos Corporation)
