Sosei Group Corporation has entered a drug discovery collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company to discover, develop and commercialize small molecules that modulate novel G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) targets associated with diabetes and metabolic diseases.
The agreement will leverage Sosei Heptares’ StaR technology and structure-based drug design (SBDD) platform and Lilly’s drug development and commercialization expertise as well as its therapeutic area experience in diabetes and metabolic diseases.
Under the terms of the agreement, Sosei Heptares will focus its efforts on multiple GPCR targets nominated by Lilly to deliver novel target-selective small molecule hit candidates for further development and commercialization.
Sosei Heptares receives an upfront payment of $37 million on signing and is eligible to receive development and commercial milestones totalling up to $694 million, plus tiered royalties on global sales.
Developing novel candidates
Matt Barnes, head of UK research & development, Sosei Heptares said: “This new agreement with Lilly further reinforces our position as a global partner of choice for GPCR-focused drug discovery targeting major diseases where patients remain in need of new and effective therapies.
“We provide a highly attractive approach that is recognized by many of the world’s leading biopharmaceutical companies and are delighted to add Lilly to that list. Lilly is a recognized world leader in diabetes and metabolic diseases, and we look forward to a collaboration that brings together our respective and complementary expertise with the goal of identifying and developing novel candidates to advance in these important areas of unmet need.”
Ruth Gimeno, group vice president, diabetes and metabolic research, Lilly said: “Continued innovation across diabetes and metabolic diseases has been a key priority for Lilly for many years. This requires us to access cutting-edge expertise and technologies to successfully advance our mission in this area.
“We look forward to combining forces with Sosei Heptares and are confident that this new partnership will enable us to unlock new targets and generate novel treatments for these diseases and bring new treatments to patients.”
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