Under the partnership, ECM platform will be added to the capabilities of Takeda in gastroenterology research and development as well as marketing
Both firms will collaborate to confirm and validate targets as well as carry out the preclinical development of therapies in IBD. (Credit: julientromeur from Pixabay)
UK-based Engitix has signed an agreement with Japanese pharmaceutical firm Takeda for the expansion of a current partnership to include the discovery and development of new therapies for fibrostenotic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease (CD).
Under the deal, both firms will collaborate to confirm and validate targets as well as carry out the preclinical development of therapies in IBD leveraging the extracellular matrix (ECM) discovery platform of Engitix.
The partnership will see the addition of the ECM platform to the capabilities of Takeda in gastroenterology research and development as well as marketing.
Engitix is eligible to receive an upfront payment and further near-term payments from Takeda contingent on target validation.
Additionally, Engitix will receive payments of up to about $300m on reaching preclinical, development, regulatory and commercial milestones.
The Japanese firm will also pay further royalties based on product sales.
As per the agreement, Takeda will own exclusive rights for the development and marketing of the clinical candidates created against established targets from the partnership.
The latest agreement follows a prior partnership entered by two companies in 2020 to discover and develop new therapies for advanced fibrotic liver diseases, including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.
Takeda GI Drug Discovery Unit head Dr Gareth Hicks said: “Partnerships are central to our R&D strategy, forming collaborations anchored around novel scientific approaches in disease areas where patients’ needs are greatest.
“Engitix’s ECM platform will help accelerate the identification and validation of novel targets that will be valuable in our search for better therapies for all those affected by GI and liver diseases.”
Engitix co-Founder and CEO Dr Giuseppe Mazza said: “We are delighted that based on positive progress in our existing R&D partnership in liver diseases, Takeda has extended the scope of the drug discovery collaboration to now include fibrostenotic IBD.
“It underlines the value they see in using our ECM platform and the successful co-operation we have established.
“ECM remodelling plays a key role in driving IBD pathogenesis forward and targeting this process in a specific and fine-tuned manner may contribute to the treatment of IBD by preventing both propagated inflammation, fibrosis and stricturing disease.”
Fibrostenosis is an intestinal inflammation-driven fibrotic obstruction that is usually observed in IBD’s CD category.
Currently, there is no cure for IBD and the failure rates of the primary and secondary therapy among existing treatments are high, said Engitix.