Celgene and Agios Pharmaceuticals extend cancer collaboration

Celgene and Agios Pharmaceuticals have agreed an extension to their research and development collaboration in the field of oncology.

The companies have elected to expand the exclusivity period of the companies' April 2010 collaboration agreement, which focuses on novel drugs in the area of cancer metabolism, from three to four years.

During this period, Celgene will be entitled to exclusively develop new therapies generated by Agios' cancer metabolism research platform at the end of phase I trials, although Agios will retain US rights to certain products.

The new arrangement will also see Celgene pay Agios a fee of $20 million (12.92 million pounds), in addition to the $130 million paid back in April 2010.

Dr Thomas Daniel, president of research for Celgene, said: "We are enthusiastic about the potential of Agios' industry-leading approach targeting cancer metabolism to drive the development of multiple innovative, first-in-class cancer therapies."

Last month, Celgene announced that its cancer drug Revlimid has been endorsed as a multiple myeloma therapy by Europe's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use.