In a thrilling development, Japanese biopharma powerhouse PeptiDream has announced yet another groundbreaking partnership, this time with Genentech, a subsidiary of Roche, with a jaw-dropping potential value of $1 billion.
This isn’t their first rodeo together. The dynamic duo first joined forces back in December 2015, followed by licensing in 2016 and a grand expansion deal in 2018. This new chapter promises to be even more spectacular.
PeptiDream is set to receive a substantial $40 million upfront for the research and development of its macrocyclic peptide-radioisotope drug conjugates. But that’s just the beginning. A staggering $1 billion in potential milestone payments, coupled with tiered royalties from product sales outside of Japan, takes the excitement to a whole new level. Additionally, PeptiDream will take the reins of preclinical activities to bring a peptide-radioisotope drug conjugate to life and retain the rights for any products developed in Japan.
Although the specific target remains a tantalizing secret, PeptiDream’s CEO, Patrick Reid, has hinted at their mission. They aspire to “introduce revolutionary, first-of-its-kind peptide radiopharmaceuticals to patients worldwide.”
But what’s so special about these peptide-radioisotope drug conjugates are Well, they’re designed to be precision weapons against cancer cells, using radioisotopes to strike directly and sparing healthy tissue from harm. PeptiDream’s Peptide Discovery Platform System is the secret sauce behind this innovation, identifying a treasure trove of candidates for peptide-based, small molecule-based, or peptide drug conjugates-based therapeutics.
Genentech is just one of the big pharma players dancing with PeptiDream. Their impressive pipeline includes partnerships with heavyweights like Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Merck, and Novartis.
Speaking of Bristol Myers Squibb, they’ve got not one but two oncology gems in cahoots with PeptiDream. One is a PD-L1 inhibitor peptide, and the other is a radiopharmaceutical diagnostic agent, both in the thrilling Phase I testing phase.
And if that’s not enough excitement, in March 2023, PeptiDream revealed the nomination of a second targeted peptide radiopharmaceutical candidate for clinical development, in collaboration with RayzeBio. The first candidate targets liver cancer, a market estimated to reach a staggering $5.3 billion by 2029 in the eight major markets, according to PeptiDream’s projections.
Hold onto your seats, folks, because PeptiDream is redefining the future of medicine one groundbreaking partnership at a time.