Mariel Therapeutics to Acquire Stryker’s BMP-7 Assets (HealthPointCapital)
The biopharmaceutical company, Mariel Therapeutics, entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Stryker’s Bone Morphogenetic Protein-7 (BMP-7) assets, intended for the potential treatment of osteoarthritis (OA), chronic kidney disease (CKD) and other organ fibrosis conditions, lupus, and obesity.
BMP-7, which has been a long road to commercialization for Stryker, is a recombinant (artificial) version of a naturally occurring growth factor that encourages mesenchymal stem cells to differentiate into new bone.
Under the terms of the agreement, Mariel acquires the rights to over 450 issued and pending patents, Stryker’s BMP-7-related clinical and research data, and the associated biologic materials. Going forward, Stryker will retain the right of first negotiation for commercial rights in the area of OA.
Stryker completed Phase I and Phase IIa trials for its BMP-7 biologics product for the treatment OA. Mariel intends to continue to pursue a Phase IIb/III clinical trial for OA, and also plans to pursue Phase I trials for the treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and Alport’s disease, a genetic kidney fibrosis disease.