Chiron Corporation has entered an exclusive partnership with GlaxoSmithKline for the research, development and commercialization of Chiron's small molecule drug program targeting obesity. The financial terms include an up-front payment, research funding, milestone payments, and royalties on sales of products. Other details of the agreement were not disclosed.

"This agreement allows Chiron to extract value from our innovative research platform for the benefit of shareholders while maintaining the company's focus on cancer and infectious disease," said Sean Lance, President and Chief Executive Officer of Chiron Corporation. "Chiron's obesity program, which targets the Melanocortin 4 Receptor (MC-4R) pathway, has yielded promising drug candidates. There is a large unmet medical need in the field of obesity and related disorders. As a global leader in developing treatments to address metabolic disease, GlaxoSmithKline will be a strong partner in developing this program."

Under the agreement, Chiron and GlaxoSmithKline will collaborate to build on Chiron's existing preclinical MC-4R research, then transition the program to GlaxoSmithKline for clinical and commercial development. MC-4R plays a critical role in the regulation of eating behavior and metabolism and is recognized as a potential target for obesity therapy.