Curis, Inc. and its collaborator Genentech granted a license to Roche for rights (outside the U.S.) to GDC-0449, an oral small molecule Hedgehog pathway inhibitor. Roche, through a previous agreement with Genentech, had an option to obtain a license to commercialize certain Genentech products in non-U.S. markets.
   
“We are pleased with Roche’s exercise of its option to license ex-U.S. rights to GDC-0449 from Genentech. We believe the collaborative worldwide development activities of Genentech and Roche could greatly expand the potential value of this compound,” said Curis president and chief executive officer, Dan Passeri. “Roche brings its significant clinical development and commercialization experience to advance and market GDC-0449 outside of the U.S. We are extremely pleased with our collaborator Genentech’s progress in advancing GDC-0449 and we believe that Roche’s experience will complement Genentech’s ongoing development efforts.”
   
Genentech discovered GDC-0449 and under the collaboration agreement with Curis, was jointly validated through a series of preclinical studies. Genentech and Roche collaborate on the clinical development and commercialization of the drug. Under the terms of Curis’ collaboration agreement with Genentech, Curis is eligible to receive cash payments upon the successful achievement of certain clinical development and regulatory milestones, as well as royalties on potential sales.
   
GDC-0449 is currently in Phase II testing in first-line metastatic colorectal cancer and Genentech expects to initiate additional Phase II trials in advanced ovarian cancer and advanced basal cell carcinoma in the coming months.