Buying failed candidates could provide an affordable way for Teva to enter the market for oncology drugs, which the Israeli generic maker is hoping to expand in.
The process of fixing failed candidates will rely on Optimata’s Virtual Patient, a piece of predictive software that uses a mathematical algorithm to forecast optimal treatments.
For instance, the software can generate an unlimited number of combinations of different drugs and treatment schedules. By simulating the drug-affected, intra-patient processes for the whole population the software is capable of predicting the optimal treatment scenario.
Using the data generated desirable efficacy and plural toxicity end-points for the clinical trial can be selected, a feature that Teva hopes will help its candidates gain regulatory approval.
The software achieves this by running mathematical algorithms of key pharmacological, physiological and pathological processes, giving information on drug-patient dynamic interactions.
Under the terms of the collaboration Optimata will receive upfront payments, development milestones and royalties. Teva has also made an undisclosed equity investment in Optimata.
A “transforming event”
Eli Lilly and Novartis are among the companies Optimata has worked with in the past but the company views the deal with Teva as a significant event in its history.
Pini Orbach, chief operating officer of Optimata, explained: "Having Teva as a partner is clearly a transforming event in the history of our company. With this new collaboration we continue to fulfill Optimata's goal of accelerating the oncology drug development process."
Optimata had planned to rescue failed candidates itself, stating it wanted “to turn scrap into success" and this knowledge of the process should help it assist Teva.