Swiss healthcare group Roche and San Diego-based biotech company Amira Pharmaceuticals have formed research alliance. Amira also plans to license two clinical stage compounds from Roche.

Under the research collaboration, Roche will use its screening capabilities to investigate three mutually agreed targets in the field of inflammatory diseases. Amira will then utilise its expertise to optimise the lead compounds generated. Roche will have opt-in rights on two of those compounds, informs a Roche release.

Under a separate licensing option agreement, Amira may license two pre-determined clinical programmes from Roche in specific indications in exchange for equity, milestones and royalties.

Amira is a start-up company specialised in the field of inflammatory diseases. The firm is funded by investors that include Avalon Ventures, Prospect Ventures and Versant Ventures. The alliance with Amira complements Roche's broad research efforts in inflammation and provides the company with access to innovative external capabilities in a strategic therapeutic area.

"In the past, we referred to a 'win-win' alliance between pharma and biotech partners. Through this new model, we have created a 'win-win-win' deal structure where three main players, Roche, Amira and the venture community, are all benefiting from a joint effort to develop potential new medicines for patients," said Peter Hug, Roche's global head of pharma partnering.

"We are very excited to collaborate with Roche. This alliance reinforces the proven pharmaceutical background of Amira's scientists and positions Amira to develop an outstanding pipeline of novel drug candidates for a broad array of inflammation-based disorders. We look forward to a long and productive partnership," said Peppi Prasit, chief scientific officer of Amira.

Roche will screen its compound repository against three targets and will transfer any hits to Amira. In exchange, Roche will have opt-in rights on two of the programmes. If Roche exercises its option, Amira could receive up to $287 million in total event payments, plus royalties, added the release.

Founded in 2005, Amira Pharmaceuticals is a privately-held biopharmaceutical company, focused on leveraging the deep expertise of an experienced scientific team in the field of inflammatory diseases.