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LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / March 27, 2017 / Active Wall St. blog coverage looks at the headline from Novartis AG (NYSE: NVS). PureTech Health PLC on March 24, 2017, announced that it has agreed a licensing and equity agreement with Swiss pharmaceuticals giant Novartis AG (NYSE: NVS) to advance two clinical-stage programs focusing the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex (mTORC1) pathway. Register with us now for your free membership and blog access at:

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One of Novartis' competitors within the Drug Manufacturers - Major space, Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AERI), reported on March 07, 2017, its fourth quarter and full year 2016 financial results and provided business update. AWS will be initiating a research report on Aerie Pharma in the coming days.

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As per the agreement, PureTech Health will develop these new product candidates by setting up a new operating subsidiary, resTORbio, with an initial focus on diseases related to immunosenescence, an age-related decline in immune function. A Phase-2b study with these candidates is planned to commence in 2017.

"Consistent with our strategy of addressing the impairments of the brain, gut, and immune systems, targeting the mTORC1 pathway offers us a compelling opportunity to address conditions impacting these adaptive systems," said Joe Bolen, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer for PureTech Health, "Impairment of adaptive and innate immune system robustness underlies age-associated immunosenescence. Inhibition of the mTORC1 pathway has proven to be effective in re-establishing T-cell composition and function, which in turn can revitalize immune homeostasis."

About mTOR

Novartis' mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a protein serine/threonine kinase that regulates multiple cell functions, including cell growth and metabolism, via two complexes: TORC1 and TORC2. TORC1 inhibition has been found to have many beneficial effects on aging, while TORC2 inhibition has been associated with adverse events including hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia. The mTORC1 inhibitors being developed by PureTech Health potentially result in selective inhibition of mTORC1 and may therefore have therapeutic potential to ameliorate multiple aging-related conditions with a favorable safety profile.

Immunosenescence, the age-dependent decline in immune function, is associated with a decreased ability to fight infections, an increase in cancer incidence and a decline in organ function in the elderly. With a rapidly aging population, there is a significant need to address aging-related diseases and conditions. Inhibition of the mTOR pathway has been shown to extend lifespan in multiple species studied including yeast, worms, flies and mammals, and to potentially ameliorate immunosenescence in aging animals and humans.

The immune-enhancing potential of mTORC1 inhibitors has been explored in a Phase-2 program at Novartis that included two successful Phase-2a studies in hundreds of elderly patients. The results of these studies form the foundation for further clinical development in immunosenescence and other aging-related diseases by targeting the mTOR pathway.

"mTORC1 inhibitors could lead us to a new paradigm for treating several aging-related conditions," said Chen Schor, a PureTech Senior Executive and the leader of the resTORbio program, "We have a robust clinical development plan for the first indication and plan to explore the program across multiple aging-related diseases."

Agreement Details

Under terms of the transaction, Novartis will receive equity in the resTORbio subsidiary and be eligible for future milestones payments and royalties based on a portion of net sales. PureTech's resTORbio, will have an exclusive license to two clinical stage programs for aging-related indications. The Boston, MA-based Company, listed on the London stock exchange in has allocated approximately $15 million in several tranches to the development of the program as it progresses, which will provide PureTech Health an approximately 58% of resTORbio on a diluted basis based. PureTech has an option to increase its ownership to 67% through the allocation of an additional $10 million to the program.

Stock Performance

At the closing bell, on Friday, March 24, 2017, Novartis' stock marginally slipped 0.08%, ending the trading session at $74.37. A total volume of 1.64 million shares were traded at the end of the day. In the last three months and previous twelve months, shares of the Company have advanced 7.79% and 5.15%, respectively. Moreover, the stock gained 5.82% since the start of the year. The Company's shares are trading at a PE ratio of 26.58 and have a dividend yield of 3.70%. At last Friday's closing price, the stock's net capitalization stands at $196.55 billion.

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SOURCE: Active Wall Street