Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and Intellikine, Inc. today announced that Takeda America Holdings, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Takeda, and Intellikine, a privately-held company focused on the discovery and development of innovative, small molecule drugs, have entered into an agreement for Takeda America Holdings to acquire Intellikine by cash. Takeda expects that the transaction will be finalized in January 2012. Under the agreement, Takeda America Holdings will acquire Intellikine for $190 million upfront and up to $120 million in additional potential clinical development milestone payments.
Intellikine has assembled a portfolio of proprietary small molecule kinase inhibitors that selectively target isoforms of the phosphoinositide-3 kinase / mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K1/mTOR2) pathway. The assets of the company include ongoing Phase 1 clinical programs involving selective inhibition of mTOR kinase and isoform-specific inhibition of PI3K?, as well as a partnered program involving research and development of isoform-specific inhibitors of PI3K?/?, and a robust discovery research platform in small molecule kinase inhibitors. Intellikine's most advanced drug candidate, INK128, a novel mTORC1/2 inhibitor, has generated encouraging data in multiple Phase 1 studies and is expected to enter Phase 2 studies in 2012.
INK1117, a novel and selective inhibitor of the PI3K? isoform, entered human clinical testing in September 2011.
Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company, Takeda's business unit responsible for global oncology strategy and development, will have global development responsibility for INK128 and INK1117.
"INK128 and INK1117 are potential best-in-class inhibitors of critical pathways driving cancer cell growth," said Deborah Dunsire, M.D., President and CEO, Millennium. "As single agents or in different combinations with novel molecules within our robust pipeline, we anticipate that these assets will be able to deliver transforming therapies to cancer patients." "Intellikine has advanced three programs against the PI3K/mTOR pathway into human clinical testing in just four years," added Troy Wilson, Ph.D., J.D., President and CEO, Intellikine. "We are pleased that Takeda recognizes the potential of our clinical-stage programs as well as our strong pipeline and discovery engine. Together, with Millennium and Takeda, we can bring the resources and expertise necessary to enable our drug candidates to reach their full potential in the treatment of patients with cancer."