Argos Therapeutics, of Durham, North Carolina, and Novo Nordisk, of Copenhagen, Denmark, have announced an agreement under which Argos licenses antibody technology to Novo Nordisk for the development of a treatment for systemic autoimmune disorders including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

In collaboration with researchers at the Baylor Institute for Immunology Research (BIRR) and under a grant from the Alliance for Lupus Research, Argos has identified specific monoclonal antibodies that target an undisclosed molecule that plays a critical role in the onset and maintenance of systemic autoimmune disorders. However, it is known from other public sources that Argos and BIRR have identified and validated an upregulated molecular target (interferon-alpha) as a trigger for the onset and maintenance of SLE, and thus it is likely that antibodies to this target are the subject matter of the license agreement. The agreement calls for up to $69 million in upfront and milestone payments to Argos, in addition to royalties on any future sales of products. 

—A.Techman