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news.China-based Yabao Pharmaceutical has entered into a strategic partnership with Eli Lilly and Company to jointly develop Lilly's glucokinase activator (GKA), LY2608204, which has completed Phase I studies in the US in addition to extensive pre-clinical development.
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GKAs have the potential to differentiate from other anti-diabetic agents by exerting two potentially beneficial actions: promoting insulin secretion and decreasing glucose production by the liver.
As a result, GKAs may exert powerful anti-hyperglycemic effects, even in patients who are relatively unresponsive to other oral drugs.
As part of the deal, Yabao will secure rights to develop and commercialize the GKA compound in China and Lilly retains rights in all other markets.
Both the firms will collaborate to determine a strategic development plan for China, while Yabao will initially be responsible to perform and fund all development, with Lilly having future buy-in options for China.
Yabao Pharmaceutical president of R&D Peng Wang said Lilly’s GKA is an optimized molecule with potential to be best-in-class.
"This ground-breaking partnership with Lilly is an important sign of Yabao’s growing commitment to partner the best science and leverage Yabao’s strong clinical and regulatory capabilities to bring novel pharmaceuticals to patients suffering from serious diseases in China," Wang said.