Vectura, the Chippenham-based drug development firm, has extended further extended its global network of blue-chip collaborators by signing a licence agreement with a major US biotech company.
Vectura will exclusively develop anti-inflammatory therapies for the treatment of asthma/ chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for Janssen Biotech under the agreement. 
Vectura said the collaboration would leverage its expertise in dry powder inhaler technologies which it will help develop Janssen’s pulmonary products into late-stage clinical development and commercialisation.
Janssen will lead the clinical development programmes with Vectura taking responsibility for pharmaceutical development and preparation for Phase II clinical trials.
Financial terms of the agreement have not been disclosed but Vectura said in a statement to the London Stock Exchange that it comprised “upfront and development milestones and a tiered royalty on net sales”.
Vectura licences its innovative technology for the treatment of airways diseases to other pharmaceutical companies. It has development collaborations and licence agreements with global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies such as Novartis, Sandoz and GlaxoSmithKline.
It has eight products marketed by partners with growing global royalty streams and a portfolio of drugs in clinical development, a number of which have been licensed to major pharmaceutical companies.
Chief executive Dr Chris Blackwell said: “Vectura’s role in this agreement is to apply its expertise in the development of products for airway-related diseases and to utilise its technology/device platform offerings, some of which have regulatory and commercial validation.
“Vectura continues to be viewed as a partner of choice by companies seeking to address the unmet medical needs of patients with airway diseases.”
