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| Takeda CEO Christophe Weber |
Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical said it has signed a partnership agreement with Cour Pharmaceutical Development to develop therapies against celiac disease using Cour's Tolerizing Immune Modifying nanoParticle (TIMP) platform.
Financial details were not disclosed but Takeda agreed to pay upfront fees to Cour and milestone payments that will lead to an exclusive option for Takeda to acquire a global license to the TIMP-GLIA program after the completion of a Phase IIa clinical trial, the companies said in a release.
Cour is also set to receive royalties on sales of commercialized products that are developed from the partnership.
The deal also includes an option for Takeda to collaborate with Cour on up to three additional TIMP compounds that will include payments related to development, regulatory, and sales milestones and royalties on sales.
"In line with our GI drug discovery unit's focus on building partnerships with groups developing highly novel therapeutic approaches to the treatment of GI diseases, we are excited to initiate this significant collaboration with Cour to create potential new and innovative therapies to meet the substantially unmet needs of these patients," Gareth Hicks, head of Takeda's gastroenterology drug discovery unit, said in a statement.
The companies said in their statement that the pact will explore the potential of TIMP therapy to allow celiac patients to tolerate gluten in their diet.
- here's the release