Artificial-intelligence-powered drug developer Insilico Medicine is set for a $10 million upfront payment from a fresh-faced Chinese biotech for half of the rights to a brain-penetrant NLRP3 inhibitor.
Under the agreement, Insilico will take the lead on bringing the preclinical asset, dubbed ISM8969, into a phase 1 trial for Parkinson’s disease. Hygtia Therapeutics will then take over for further studies and onward toward regulators and commercialization.
As well as the upfront fee, Insilico is in line for up to $56 million in milestone payments from Hygtia.
Interest in NLRP3 inhibition as a way to address a range of neuroinflammatory and cardiometabolic diseases has ramped up in the past year. Earlier this month, Eli Lilly paid $1.2 billion 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% within a week in a separate midstage study.
When it comes ISM8969, preclinical data have already “demonstrated the molecule’s robust efficacy, favorable safety profile and marked anti-inflammatory activity in various disease models,” said Insilico, which also noted the therapy’s “desirable blood–brain barrier penetration.”
Insilico, which went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange last month, said it had discovered ISM8969 via its generative chemistry engine Chemistry42.
“Targeting neuroinflammation via NLRP3 represents a scientifically sound and high-potential approach to treating neurodegenerative and age-related diseases,” Insilico co-CEO and Chief Scientific Officer Ren Feng, Ph.D., said in the release.
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“However, developing a safe molecule with good blood-brain barrier penetration remains a formidable obstacle for drug developers,” Feng added.
“Through our generative AI platform, we have designed a molecule specifically engineered to overcome this barrier,” he said. “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.”
Insilico has found it easy to attract Big Pharma interest for its AI-enabled drug discovery tech, including the likes of Sanofi, Pfizer, Menarini Group and Boehringer Ingelheim. Most recently, Lilly penned a $100 million-plus biobucks deal 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,” the fresh-faced biotech added.
