Vanda's Licenses CFTR Modulators From UCSF, But Not For Cystic Fibrosis

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s agreement to license a portfolio of preclinical cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulators from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is not an attempt to compete with Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. and others in cystic fibrosis – but an effort to get a head start in other therapeutic areas where this class of therapeutics may play a role.

The Washington, DC-based biotech said on March 29 that it will pay $1m up front and up to $46m in milestone fees with the potential for single-digit sales royalties to obtain global development and commercialization rights for a set of CFTR activators and inhibitors identified by UCSF researcher Alan Verkman