Marina Biotech enters into agreement with Autotelic Bio for developing Marina’s IT-103 Clinical program

Marina Biotech, a biopharmaceutical company committed to the development and commercialization of advanced therapeutics for hypertension, arthritis, pain and oncology embarked on a binding agreement with Autotelic Bio Inc. in a bid to commence clinical development of Marina’s IT-103 clinical program ensuring rigorous marketing outside of US and Canada thereby seeking its license for the same that will ensure market approval in South Korea and territories outside of United States and Canada. IT-103 is a fixed dose combination of celecoxib, a COX-2 selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, and Olmesartan, an antihypertension drug.  The Company perceives that by combining a COX-2 inhibitor with an antihypertensive in a single fixed dose combination oral tablet, IT-103 will offer an improved safety profile as compared to currently available and previously marketed COX-2 inhibitors as well as address patients with arthritis who are concurrently taking antihypertension drugs.

Through the agreement, Marina will be entitled to the clinical trial data and any enhancements and inventions developed by Autotelic Bio during this process, as well as royalties on sales.  Under this agreement, Marina retrieves all rights and territories to IT-103 as non-addictive opioid replacement for extreme pain as well as treatment for familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP).

Dr. Vuong Trieu, executive chairman of Marina said “We are pleased to execute the agreement for drug development and licensing with Autotelic Bio for IT-103.  This will free up internal resources at Marina while gaining access to regulatory dossier for obtaining marketing approval of IT-103 in the US and Canada.”

Image Source: Marina Biotech