Under the terms of the collaboration agreement, a number of protein antigens identified and validated by Celera Genomics are being screened by Abbott.
The collaboration encompasses the development of therapeutic antibodies and small molecule drugs against over-expressed cell-surface proteins that have been associated with cancer and identified as therapeutic targets through proteomics research at Celera Genomics.
Any of these antigens may be selected for therapeutic development at Abbott.
Under the terms of the agreement, once this development is complete, Celera Genomics may elect to jointly fund clinical development and commercialisation of any resulting therapeutic products and would share any financial returns resulting from commercialisation, or alternately be paid milestones and royalties on successful therapies.
Abbott has responsibility for the commercialisation of jointly funded collaboration products. Celera Genomics retains certain diagnostic rights associated with selected targets.
"Our collaboration with Abbott continues to be productive and we're pleased with their selection of these two additional antigens for further investigation," said Kathy Ordonez, president of Celera Genomics.
"This is further validation of the value our proteomics platform has yielded in discovering and validating targets in pancreatic, lung, colon, breast, gastric, prostate and renal cancers."
Celera now have five antigens in the research pipeline with their partners, and are working to move additional targets forward for therapeutic development through current and future collaborations.