Partnership to Advance Liver Fibrosis Teatments

Biotech Engitix and Japanese multinational Takeda Pharmaceutical are working jointly on the confirmation and validation of targets leading to preclinical development of therapeutics in advanced liver fibrosis, using the transatlantic biotech’s extracellular matrix (ECM) discovery platform.

Under the terms of the deal, Takeda will have exclusive rights to develop and commercialise clinical candidates, including those for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), generated against validated targets derived from the collaboration.

Engitix receives an upfront payment, with additional near-term payments as work on selected targets develops; it also stands to bank more than $500 million for the achievement of preclinical, development, regulatory and commercial milestones, as well as further royalty payments generated by sales.

“Having Takeda, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies with world-class drug development and commercialisation capabilities, as a major collaborator, will accelerate the translation of novel ECM-derived targets into potential therapeutics for humans,” said Dr Giuseppe Mazza, the UK group's co-founder and chief executive.

“We are excited to continue working with Takeda as this is the only partnership in the field of liver fibrosis currently using a human disease-specific ECM platform, paving the way for potential first-in class anti-fibrotic therapeutics.”