San Diego-based Optimer Pharmaceuticals and China-based C&O Pharmaceutical Technology Holdings Limited have signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the exploration of potential business collaborations in US and China.
Under the terms of agreement, the companies intend to jointly explore possible areas of cooperation, including sharing information on pre-clinical and clinical studies, screening and synthesizing new compounds, transferring technology and licensing product candidates.
"We are enthusiastic about the opportunity to collaborate with C&O and the future access they can provide Optimer to the China market," said President and CEO of Optimer, Mr Michael Chang. "Our collaborative discussions with C&O will focus initially on two of our carbohydrate-based product candidates, OPT-88 for the treatment of osteoarthritis, and OPT-822/821 for the treatment of breast cancer. Additionally, we intend to evaluate in-licensing opportunities from C&O's pipeline."
C&O Pharmaceutical was listed on the Singapore Exchange in October 2005 and is an established and integrated pharmaceutical group in China. With its manufacturing facilities in Nanjing, the Group researches, manufactures and markets C&O branded pharmaceutical products as well as distributes four imported drugs and about 5,000 local third-party pharmaceutical products across the whole of China.
Optimer Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing innovative anti-infective products for the treatment of serious infections. Optimer currently has two late-stage anti-infective product candidates. OPT-80 is being developed for the treatment of Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea, the most common hospital-acquired diarrhea. Prulifloxacin is an antibiotic currently in phase III trials for the treatment of travelers' diarrhea, a form of infectious diarrhea.