Innate Immune announced that it has granted to Cephalon Australia Pty Ltd an exclusive license to patents for the development of its antibodies for the treatment of asthma and systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE)

STANFORD, CA, USA | March 15, 2010 | Innate Immune, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company, today announced that it has granted to Cephalon Australia Pty Ltd an exclusive license to patents for the development of its antibodies for the treatment of asthma and systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE). Cephalon Australia Pty Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cephalon, Inc. As part of the agreement, Cephalon Australia will humanize the antibodies using their proprietary technology and conduct all development and clinical work related to the product candidate(s). In early-stage development, Innate Immune demonstrated that blocking the activation of natural killer T (NKT) cells using the antibody was effective for the treatment of asthma and SLE in preclinical animal models. The financial terms of the licensing agreement were not disclosed.

"Based on our deep understanding of the pivotal role NKT cells play in human health and disease, we have built a strong portfolio of therapeutic leads against multiple disease indications," commented Andrew Perlman, M.D., Ph. D., Innate Immune’s Founder and CEO. "We look forward to Cephalon Australia’s further development of this exciting product candidate which has the potential to address important medical needs."

About Innate Immune, Inc.

Innate Immune, Inc. is a privately held biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of drugs that modulate the activity of natural killer T cells for the treatment of immune disorders. The Company has licensed an extensive intellectual property portfolio from Stanford University, Dana Farber Cancer Institute and National Institutes of Health (NIH). The scientific founders of Innate Immune, Inc. include Samuel Strober, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Edward Engleman, M.D., Professor of Pathology at Stanford University School of Medicine, Dale Umetsu, M.D., Ph.D., The Prince Turki al Saud Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard University Medical School, and Paul Savage, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry at Brigham Young University.

SOURCE: Innate Immune, Inc.