PeptiDream and Genentech Collaborate on Novel Peptide-Radioisotope Drug Conjugates

PeptiDream Inc., a leading biopharmaceutical company based in Japan, has unveiled an exciting multi-target collaboration and license agreement with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group headquartered in the United States. This partnership is centered around the discovery and development of innovative macrocyclic peptide-radioisotope (peptide-RI) drug conjugates.

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Pioneering Peptide-RI Drug Conjugates

The partnership makes use of PeptiDream’s knowledge and their special Peptide Discovery Platform System (PDPS) technology to find, improve, and move forward with specific macrocyclic peptide candidates used as peptide-RI drug conjugates.These conjugates hold great potential for addressing a range of therapeutic targets significant to Genentech.

PeptiDream will lead the early preclinical development phase, subsequently transitioning the peptide-RI drug conjugate products emerging from the collaboration to Genentech for further development and eventual commercialization. It’s noteworthy that PeptiDream retains the rights to develop and market these peptide-RI drug conjugate products specifically within Japan.

A Strong Collaborative History

This new agreement builds upon the extensive collaborative history between the two companies. Their partnership journey began with a multi-target collaboration and license agreement in December 2015, followed by Genentech’s licensing of PeptiDream’s PDPS technology in 2016. Subsequently, the collaboration expanded further in 2018.

Under the terms of this transformative partnership, PeptiDream will receive an upfront payment of $40 million USD (approximately ¥5.9 billion JPY). Importantly, the agreement includes provisions for potential future payments linked to the achievement of specific milestones in development, regulatory approval, and commercialization, which could reach a remarkable $1 billion USD. Additionally, PeptiDream is eligible to receive tiered royalties on net sales of any relevant products outside of Japan arising from this collaboration.

Advancing First-in-Class Peptide Radiopharmaceuticals

Patrick C. Reid, PhD, President & CEO of PeptiDream, expressed the company’s enthusiasm for this groundbreaking collaboration, saying, “We are extremely excited to announce this new collaboration with Genentech for the discovery and development of peptide-RI drug conjugates. PeptiDream is a global leader in the discovery and development of peptide-RI conjugates, and through PDRadiopharma, is one of the leading radiopharmaceutical companies in Japan. Combining this expertise with Genentech’s powerful clinical development and commercialization capabilities, we hope to bring innovative first-in-class peptide radiopharmaceuticals to patients worldwide.”

PeptiDream and Genentech’s partnership marks a significant stride forward in the quest for groundbreaking therapeutics, promising new hope for patients worldwide in the realm of peptide-RI drug conjugates.

Author

Sinead Huang