Pfizer/Affinium: A Harbinger Of Discovery Deals To Come?
This article was originally published in Start Up
Executive Summary
The $30 million headline value of the recent discovery deal between Affinium Pharmaceuticals (formerly Integrative Proteomics) and Pfizer may not be particularly noteworthy, but the business structure of the deal is unusual in the extent to which it goes beyond the fee-for-service type arrangements that in recent years have been typical for platform technology biotechs and Big Pharma. Of particular note, Affinium is entitled to potential royalties, as well as rights to certain IP generated by the alliance. Affinium's CEO says that over the next several years, the drug industry may re-warm to the idea of early-stage discovery collaborations.
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