Insilico Medicine has agreed a US$66m deal with a Chinese biotech for half of the rights to a brain-penetrant Parkinson’s drug.
Under the agreement, the artificial intelligence-powered drug developer will take the lead on bringing the preclinical asset, dubbed ISM8969, into a phase 1 trial.
Hygtia Therapeutics will then take over for further studies and onward toward regulators and commercialisation.
Ren Feng is co-chief executive and chief scientific officer at Insilico.
Feng said: “Targeting neuroinflammation via NLRP3 represents a scientifically sound and high-potential approach to treating neurodegenerative and age-related diseases.
“However, developing a safe molecule with good blood-brain barrier penetration remains a formidable obstacle for drug developers.
“Through our generative AI platform, we have designed a molecule specifically engineered to overcome this barrier.
“We are pleased to partner with Hygtia Therapeutics.
“We believe that through our combined efforts, we can accelerate its clinical progress to address significant unmet medical needs.”
ISM8969 is an NLRP3 inhibitor.
NLRP3 is a protein involved in inflammation, and blocking it is being explored as a way to address a range of neuroinflammatory and cardiometabolic diseases. Interest in NLRP3 inhibition has increased in the past year.
Earlier this month, Eli Lilly paid US$1.2bn to acquire Ventyx Biosciences in the wake of a phase 2 study tying Ventyx’s lead NLRP3 inhibitor to improvements in Parkinson’s symptoms.
That same NLRP3 inhibitor had also been shown to cut levels of a biomarker for stroke and other serious risks by almost 80 per cent within a week in a separate mid-stage study.
Preclinical data for ISM8969 have “demonstrated the molecule’s robust efficacy, favourable safety profile and marked anti-inflammatory activity in various disease models,” said Insilico, which also noted the therapy’s “desirable blood-brain barrier penetration.”
The blood-brain barrier is the protective barrier around the brain that many drugs struggle to cross.
Insilico, which went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange last month, said it had discovered ISM8969 via its generative chemistry engine Chemistry42.
As well as an upfront fee of US$10m, Insilico is in line for up to US$56m in milestone payments from Hygtia.
Insilico has attracted interest from pharmaceutical companies for its AI-enabled drug discovery technology, including Sanofi, Pfizer, Menarini Group and Boehringer Ingelheim.
Most recently, Lilly agreed a deal worth more than US$100m in November.
Hygtia, which was founded last August after being incubated by Fosun Pharma, said the agreement with Insilico “marks a pivotal step in our global strategy.
This partnership aligns with our strategy to expand our innovative neuroscience pipeline through high-quality assets.”
