MILAN, Italy, June 29, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- BioXell today announced that it has purchased additional indications from Roche for lead compound BXL 628 which, under the original agreement, was licensed to BioXell for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), secondary hyperparathyroidism, transplant rejection and type I diabetes. The compound has recently completed a phase II trial in Italy for BPH. Under the new agreement, Roche has granted BioXell exclusive worldwide development rights to BXL 628 for all non-topical and non-dermatological applications.
Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.
Dr. Francesco Sinigaglia, CEO of BioXell, said, "Extending our agreement with Roche is a significant achievement for BioXell since we believe BXL 628 is an innovative compound that may be a treatment for a number of serious urological conditions. This agreement will allow us to begin a phase IIa trial for overactive bladder conditions by the end of the year, adding the value of a second potential blockbuster to our portfolio."
About BioXell
BioXell is a private biopharmaceutical company focusing on the discovery and development of new treatments for urological and chronic inflammatory disorders. Through its proprietary technology platform based on Vitamin D3 analogues, BioXell has identified a number of promising lead development programmes. Its pipeline includes BXL 628 for benign prostatic hyperplasia as well as compounds to treat overactive bladder and other major urological indications. In order to further exploit its Vitamin D3 platform, BioXell is also collaborating with Proskelia to develop drug candidates to cure osteoporosis and secondary hyperparathyroidism. Furthermore, based on its unique understanding of the inflammatory process and knowledge of GPCRs and TREM receptor biology, BioXell is also committed to a number of cutting-edge research projects to develop new drugs for chronic inflammatory diseases in collaboration with external partners. To date, BioXell has raised a total of over euro 48 million through world-class specialised healthcare VC investors including MPM Capital, Index Ventures, AlpInvest Partners N.V. and Life Science Partners and government funding. BioXell currently employs 50 people and has sites in Milan, Italy and Nutley, NJ, USA.
More information on BioXell can be found on: www.bioxell.com
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange