Takeda Pharmaceutical and Enterome Bioscience have entered a strategic drug discovery collaboration to research and develop potential new therapeutics directed at microbiome targets, which would play crucial roles treating in gastrointestinal disorders.
Under the deal, Enterome will use its metagenomic platform to support the discovery of potential new small molecules or biologics agents from gut bacteria and directed to the GI targets selected by the companies.
Takeda will have an option to licence selected agents on an exclusive global basis and will be responsible for their regulatory and clinical development, as well as commercialisation.
Enterome CEO Pierre Belichard said: "This strategic collaboration with Takeda is a significant achievement for Enterome and represents an important step towards realising the full potential of our expertise and unique capabilities in unlocking the microbiome to generate new therapeutic solutions to serious diseases.
"We are delighted to begin this new collaboration, which will combine our continuing leadership in the microbiome space and Takeda’s global therapeutic drug discovery and development capabilities.
"It is also an important step for Enterome towards achieving its ambition to become a leading global biopharmaceutical company in the microbiome space."
The deal will see Enterome receive an upfront payment and three-year R&D funding, and is eligible to receive additional payments in the form of option exercise, development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments for each molecule discovered through the collaboration.
In addition, Enterome is eligible to receive potential tiered royalties on the net sales of any products that are commercialised by Takeda.
