AstraZeneca and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company have agreed to jointly develop and commercialize MEDI1341, an antibody for Parkinson’s disease (PD), for which Takeda will pay AstraZeneca up to $400 million.

Under the agreement, AstraZeneca will lead Phase I development while Takeda will lead future clinical development activities. The companies will share equally future development and commercialization costs for MEDI1341, as well as any future revenues. Takeda will pay AstraZeneca up to $400 million, including initial revenue in 2017 and development and sales milestones thereafter.

MEDI1341 is an alpha-synuclein antibody. Alpha-synuclein is an aggregation-prone protein that contributes to the development of PD, according to AstraZeneca.

Source: AstraZeneca