Freshfields Advised Eli Lilly on Its Strategic Research Collaboration and Licensing Agreement with Amplitude Therapeutics

Freshfields advised Eli Lilly and Company (“Lilly”) on its strategic research collaboration and licensing agreement with Amplitude Therapeutics to discover and develop trans-amplifying RNA (taRNA) vaccine candidates for infectious diseases.

Under the agreement, Lilly will receive exclusive, target-specific rights to develop and commercialize licensed products directed to the collaboration targets. Amplitude will lead taRNA optimization and selected preclinical research activities under agreed research plans, with Lilly responsible for additional preclinical development, clinical development, manufacturing, regulatory activities and commercialization. The collaboration will initially focus on undisclosed infectious disease vaccine programs with high unmet need, with Lilly retaining the option to add up to two additional infectious disease targets.

The Freshfields team for Lilly included U.S. Head of Life Sciences Kristen Riemenschneider, Senior Associates Zackory Burns and Jake Silvers, and Associates Wolfgang Paulson and Juliana Zhang on the collaboration and license agreement, and Partner Calise Cheng and Associate Jovian Marcelo advising on the financing.