Diatos S.A. and MacroMed, Inc. have signed of a license agreement granting Diatos exclusive rights to develop and commercialize OncoGel (injectable paclitaxel formulation for local, intra-tumoral administration) worldwide except for North America and Korea. In addition, Diatos also received rights to sublicense OncoGel and to develop and commercialize second-generation OncoGel products.

Diatos and MacroMed, both privately held biopharmaceutical companies, will collaborate on the clinical development of OncoGel, sharing data from clinical trials conducted in their respective territories. Diatos and MacroMed intend to develop OncoGel for treatment of several types of solid tumours, which may include breast, lung, esophageal, head and neck, brain, liver, colon, pancreas and ovarian cancers. OncoGel is currently in Phase II clinical trials in the US for esophageal cancer.

Under the terms of the agreement, Diatos will pay MacroMed a license fee, milestone payments, and royalties on product sales. In addition, MacroMed has retained the right to provide the majority of clinical and commercial supplies of OncoGel to Diatos, a company release said.

"We are delighted to add OncoGel to our product development portfolio, as it enhances our oncology product pipeline with a second clinical-stage product," said Dr. John Tchelingerian, President and Chief Executive Officer of Diatos. "The acquisition of OncoGel fits well with our mission to develop oncology drug products through in-licensing as well as internal development."

MacroMed chief executive officer, Thomas Bergmann, stated, "We are very pleased to have the opportunity to work with Diatos to develop and commercialize this exciting product worldwide. We have confidence in Diatos's expertise to continue OncoGel's development in Europe and initiate new development in Asia, while allowing us to focus our resources on development in the US."

OncoGel is an injectable, controlled-release formulation of paclitaxel. Paclitaxel is a well-characterized, anti-neoplastic agent that inhibits cell proliferation. Once injected, OncoGel maintains a high, long-term intra-tumoral concentration of paclitaxel with minimal systemic exposure which may make it ideal for neoadjuvant, adjuvant and palliative treatment settings. OncoGel therapy may also prove to be effective in various types of tumours, including Taxol-resistant tumours and in tumours with long cell division cycles.