Human Genome Sciences (HGS) and Novozymes Biopharma have amended an existing license agreement to allow both companies to expand the application of albumin fusion technology.
Under the amended agreement, HGS and Novozymes each has the opportunity to exclusively license and/or sublicense a number of albumin fusion proteins in exchange for royalties and other consideration.
No existing HGS or Novozymes products or product rights, including rights licensed to other companies, are affected by these amendments.
'Genetic fusion of therapeutic proteins to albumin can improve the pharmacology of the proteins, resulting in important benefits to patients,' said Barry A Labinger, executive vice-president and chief commercial officer, HGS.
'For example, with certain therapeutic proteins, albumin fusion may make it possible to dose less frequently and reduce side effects associated with injections,' he added.
Thomas Videbaek, executive vice-president, Novozymes, said: 'We license both the fusion protein and the yeast expression systems, which have been optimised for producing albumin fusion proteins as the solution that provides an efficacious half-life in patients.
'This enables Novozymes to continue to further develop albufuse albumin fusion technology.'
