AstraZeneca and MedImmune to ally on drug development

AstraZeneca's biologics research and development arm MedImmune has agreed a new collaboration with NGM Biopharmaceuticals.

The deal will see the companies allying to discover, develop and commercialise novel therapeutics from NGM's enteroendocrine cell (EEC) programme for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity.

EECs have been identified as an underexplored source of novel hormones that could play a major role in the positive and negative regulation of metabolism and glucose homeostasis.

NGM's technology is capable of using this methodology to identify novel secreted peptide hormones that are potentially linked to the metabolic effects of bariatric surgery, thus serving as potential targets for the treatment of metabolic diseases.

Dr Cristina Rondinone, head of the cardiovascular and metabolic disease innovative medicines unit at MedImmune, said: "Our partnership with NGM complements AstraZeneca's existing small molecule and biologics portfolio in cardiovascular and metabolic disease, one of our core therapy areas."

In April 2013, it was announced that MedImmune has agreed a deal to acquire the US-based biotechnology company AlphaCore Pharma, which is responsible for creating a promising new cholesterol therapy.