GE inks molecular imaging license with Dyax

GE Healthcare and Dyax have signed a licensing agreement for the development and commercialization of peptides binding to c-Met, which provides upfront, milestone and royalty payments to Dyax. The license includes application of the peptides in PET, SPECT and optical imaging.

Research of potential diagnostic applications and use as a patient selection biomarker in oncology will be explored by GE in collaboration with academic institutions and pharmaceutical companies. 

“Growth factor receptors such as c-Met are promising therapeutic targets that could be a critical factor in the development of colorectal, lung and liver oncology drugs,” said Marivi Mendizabal, PhD, head of research for GE Healthcare's medical diagnostics unit.

There are 18 Dyax-derived antibody or peptide programs currently in human clinical trials, according to Gustav A. Christensen, president and CEO at the Burlington, Mass.-based Dyax.

Initial preclinical data on c-Met imaging will be presented by GE Healthcare at the American Academy of Cancer Research annual meeting this week in Chicago.

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