The unforeseen leads to a breakup

Drug discovery deals built around interesting biological targets as opposed to specific disease indications are more likely to spring surprises in terms of their therapeutic direction. Thus, Boehringer Ingelheim may have gotten less than it hoped for when it partnered with Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc. to develop inhibitors of cell adhesion targets. ISIP likewise found itself less than ideally partnered for commercialization of the treatment that emerged from their work.

Last week, the companies parted ways on ISIS 2302, in late-stage trials to treat Crohn's disease. The 1995 collaboration had produced ISIS 2302, an inhibitor of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), along with other antisense inhibitors and small molecule inhibitors of cell adhesion molecules. Boehringer Ingelheim (Ingelheim, Germany) has rights to the small molecules going forward...