Isis grants Excaliard license for development of antisense drugs

CARLSBAD and ENCINITAS, Calif. Isis and Excaliard Pharmaceuticals have entered into an agreement to discover and develop antisense drugs for the local treatment of fibrotic diseases, including scarring. Isis has granted Excaliard an exclusive worldwide license for the development and commercialization of certain antisense drugs.

Under the agreement, Excaliard made an upfront payment in the form of equity and paid $1 million cash to Isis for the licensing of a particular gene target. Isis will also be eligible to receive development milestones and royalties on antisense drugs developed by Excaliard.

“Isis has made superb progress in the development of second-generation antisense drugs over the last few years, as evidenced by its clinical pipeline and current collaborations with companies such as Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly and Ortho-McNeil, among others,” said Excaliard co-founder J. Gordon Foulkes, acting chief executive officer for Excaliard and managing director of RiverVest Venture Partners. “Having access to Isis’ antisense technology and expertise provides a great opportunity for Excaliard.”