Novartis to reward Matchpoint with up to a billion dollars for developing anti-inflammatory treatments
Novartis, the Swiss pharmaceutical giant, has entered into a partnership with Matchpoint Therapeutics, a US-based biotech company, to develop oral drugs for inflammatory diseases. The collaboration, which focuses on developing oral covalent inhibitors directed at a transcription factor linked to multiple inflammatory diseases, promises to expand the portfolio in inflammatory disease treatments and potentially address unmet medical needs.
Under the terms of the agreement, Matchpoint will lead the research activities through development candidate selection using its Advanced Covalent Exploration (ACE) platform. In return, Matchpoint will receive an upfront payment and research funding totaling up to $60 million from Novartis.
The total potential payments for Matchpoint could reach up to $1 billion, contingent upon achieving various developmental and commercial milestones. This includes potential milestone payments of an additional $940 million if all development and commercialization milestones are reached. Notably, the option exercise fee is also included in the potential total payments of up to $1 billion for Matchpoint.
Novartis retains an exclusive option to license the program. If exercised, Novartis will have global rights to develop and commercialize all products resulting from the collaboration. Matchpoint is also eligible for tiered royalties on future product sales.
This partnership leverages Matchpoint's innovative approach to covalent chemistry to target historically hard-to-drug proteins, reducing inflammation signals. Novartis brings its expertise in immunology research and drug development to the table.
The goal of this collaboration is to lower the production of inflammation-causing signals with these drugs. The funding for the research and development process will come from Novartis. If Novartis exercises its option to exclusively license the program, it will have global rights to develop and commercialize all products resulting from the collaboration.
This collaboration between Novartis and Matchpoint Therapeutics underscores the strategic importance of expanding the portfolio in inflammatory disease treatments and the potential for covalent medicines to address unmet medical needs.
Science and health-and-wellness are intertwined in this partnership between Novartis and Matchpoint Therapeutics, as they aim to develop oral drugs for inflammatory diseases using therapies-and-treatments that lower the production of inflammation-causing signals. This collaboration leverages Matchpoint's innovative approach to covalent chemistry and Novartis' expertise in immunology research and drug development, with the goal of potentially addressing unmet medical needs and expanding the portfolio in inflammatory disease treatments.
