OMass Therapeutics has announced an exclusive collaboration and license agreement with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, for the rights to develop and commercialise OMass’ preclinical oral small molecule programme for inflammatory bowel disease.
“Using our OdyssION platform, we’ve been able to make significant progress on this novel first-in-class target with a differentiated mechanism of action in inflammatory bowel disease,” said Ros Deegan, CEO of OMass Therapeutics.
“Genentech brings a strong legacy of innovation in immunology and world-class scientific expertise, making it an ideal partner for this programme. We are delighted to partner with them and build on the progress we have made to date.”
"Nearly eight million people are living with IBD who need innovative treatment approaches," said Boris L. Zaïtra, Head of Roche Corporate Business Development.
"Despite recent advancements, there is still a high unmet medical need; this fuels our commitment to partnering with companies such as OMass Therapeutics, accelerating potentially transformative medicines and advancing science."
Under the terms of the agreement, OMass will receive an upfront payment of $20m, plus additional potential preclinical, development, commercial and net sales milestone payments of more than $400m.
OMass is also eligible for tiered royalties on net sales. Under the collaboration, OMass will lead the initial preclinical development of the programme until candidate selection.
Genentech will be responsible for clinical development, regulatory activities, manufacturing and commercialisation.