Exelixis, Bristol-Myers deal

Exelixis said Bristol-Myers will return all rights under a 2008 deal to XL281, effective Oct. 8. According to Exelixis, Bristol-Myers made the decision based on the pharma's review of XL281 in its "overall research and development priorities and pipeline products." Exelixis said it plans to wind down ongoing activities related to the Raf kinase inhibitor. XL281 has completed Phase I testing in patients with solid tumors (see BioCentury, Dec. 15, 2008).

Last June, Bristol-Myers returned all rights to XL184 because the companies could not agree on the "scope, breadth and pace" of the cancer compound's ongoing development. Exelixis and Bristol-Myers had partnered to develop and commercialize the spectrum selective kinase inhibitor (SSKI) targeting VEGF receptor 2 ( KDR/Flk-1), ret proto-oncogene (RET) and c-Met receptor tyrosine kinase under the same 2008 deal (see BioCentury, June 28, 2010). ...