Pfizer diabetes and obesity study triggers Sosei Heptares windfall

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Sosei Group Corporation has been notified by Pfizer that the first subject in a phase 2 clinical trial has been dosed with Pfizer’s candidate PF-07081532. This triggers a $10 million payment to Sosei Heptares.

PF-07081532 is a once-daily, next-generation oral small molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist in development for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity. PF-07081532 was discovered by Pfizer scientists during a multi-target research collaboration in which Pfizer had access to Sosei Heptares proprietary StaR (stabilized receptor) technology. PF-07081532 has successfully completed phase 1 clinical studies conducted by Pfizer.

Three candidates nominated

PF-07081532 is one of three clinical candidates nominated by Pfizer during its collaboration with Sosei Heptares, all of which are now progressing in clinical trials. The other two candidates, both currently in phase 1 trials, are: PF-07054894 (a CCR6 antagonist targeting inflammatory bowel disease), and PF-07258669 (an MC4 receptor antagonist for anorexia).

Matt Barnes, head of UK R&D, Sosei Heptares, said: “GLP-1 is an important and well-validated target for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes and obesity. We believe the exciting progress of PF-07081532 and other nominated candidates speaks to the power of our platform and ability to collaborate successfully with pharma partners – uniting our cutting-edge technology with Pfizer’s drug discovery, early development and clinical expertise to generate and advance drug candidates with significant therapeutic potential. We look forward to continuing the success of this partnership with Pfizer to deliver new medicines for diseases with large unmet need.”

Agreement with Pfizer

Sosei Heptares and Pfizer entered a multi-target drug discovery collaboration in November 2015 to research and develop potential new medicines directed at G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) targets across multiple therapeutic areas. Many of these targets have clinical or biological validation as key points for therapeutic intervention potentially targeting a range of diseases but have proven difficult to address with conventional discovery approaches because of inherent technical challenges. 

To address these challenges, Sosei Heptares and Pfizer scientists worked closely together to leverage their respective complementary expertise in enabling GPCR-focused structure-based drug design (SBDD) and development directed to the GPCR targets selected by Pfizer. Pfizer is responsible for developing and commercializing any potential therapeutic agents (small molecules or biologics) for each target and will have exclusive global rights to any potential resulting agents.

To date, Sosei Heptares has delivered multiple stabilized receptors (StaR proteins), X-ray structures and biophysical data on certain programs. These have led to the design and development of novel small molecule candidates, three of which have now entered clinical trials. The progress under this partnership has triggered multiple milestone payments from Pfizer, with further payments and potential royalties possible under the agreement, provided the criteria under the agreement are satisfied.

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