Jazz Pharmaceuticals and Pfenex have formed an agreement under which Pfenex granted Jazz Pharmaceuticals worldwide rights to develop and commercialize multiple early stage hematology product candidates. The agreement also includes an option for Jazz Pharmaceuticals to negotiate a license for a recombinant pegaspargase product candidate with Pfenex. This early development stage collaboration demonstrates Jazz Pharmaceuticals’ focus on identifying innovative technologies that may lead to the development of important therapeutic options for patients with hematological malignancies.

Pfenex will receive upfront and option payments totaling $15 million and may be eligible to receive additional payments of up to $166 million based on the achievement of certain development-, regulatory-, and sales-related milestones, including up to $41 million for certain non-sales-related milestones. Pfenex may also be eligible to receive tiered royalties on worldwide sales of any products resulting from the collaboration. Both parties will be contributing to development efforts.

“The collaboration with Pfenex, including access to its unique protein expression technology, demonstrates our emphasis on diversifying and strengthening our portfolio to provide improved therapeutic options for patients,” said Karen Smith, global head of research and development and chief medical officer, Jazz Pharmaceuticals. “We look forward to working with Pfenex on the development of multiple product candidates that have the potential to broaden our hematology/oncology portfolio.”

“Our collaboration with Jazz further validates Pfenex’s product development capability enabled by our protein expression platform technology. We look forward to working with Jazz on these assets in support of further advancement in clinical development,” said Bertrand Liang, chief executive officer, Pfenex.