September 20, BelgiumGent andBoston, Orionis Biosciences, a private life sciences company with an integrated drug discovery and chemical biology platform, announced a multi-year collaboration with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, to discover novel small molecule drugs for challenging targets in major disease areas such as oncology and neurodegeneration. (New Force! $55 Million Financing, Supported by Novartis to Develop Cancer Immunotherapy)
Orionis BiosciencesAllo-Glue™ PlatformUtilizing a variety of unique methods to discover drug-like small molecules targeting disease-related targets that remain difficult to address through traditional discovery approaches. The platform integrates a proprietary set of chemical biology technologies, including bioassays, computational analysis, chemical libraries, and automated processes for high-throughput discovery, rational design, and optimization of small molecules to promote or induce protein interactions in living cells. This includes molecular glues capable of facilitating interactions, leading to target degradation via direct or allosteric mechanisms (through virtually any ligase) or modulating target function. In the company’s overall approach to molecular glue discovery, both target-centric and ligase-driven discovery paradigms are realized and leveraged in a synergistic manner.
Under the terms of the agreement, Orionis will be responsible for discovering and optimizing molecular glues for targets designated by Genentech, while Genentech will oversee subsequent preclinical, clinical development, regulatory filings, and commercialization of such small molecules. Orionis will receive an upfront payment of $47 million and is eligible for development milestone payments, as well as potential commercial and net sales milestone payments that could exceed $2 billion, along with tiered royalties on sales of the collaboration products.Co-founder and CEO of Orionis BiosciencesNikolai Kley said:"Molecular glue is one of the most exciting recent advancements in the field of small molecule drug discovery. We are thrilled to collaborate with Genentech, leveraging the technological innovations we have systematically developed over the past few years to unlock new target spaces with this drug modality. We are highly enthusiastic about the potential of this groundbreaking collaboration to deliver impactful new therapeutic modalities."James Sabry, Head of Global Partnerships at Roche Pharmaceuticals, stated:"Molecular glue degraders represent an exciting approach to targeting disease-related proteins, and it has proven challenging compared to more traditional therapeutic methods. For patients with unmet needs, this offers a new treatment modality to modulate key disease drivers. This collaboration allows us to apply the concept of targeted protein degradation to discover and develop drugs for patients with serious and life-threatening diseases."Follow the official account below to explore the world with you!
