Date: 2016-02-18
Type of information: R&D agreement
Compound: small molecule agonists of FFA4 (also known as GPR120)
Company: Axxam (Italy) Neomed (Canada)
Therapeutic area: Metabolic diseases - Inflammatory diseases
Type agreement: R&D collaboration
Action mechanism: GPCR agonist. Free fatty acid receptor 4 (FFA4), also known as GPR120, is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) for long-chain unsaturated fatty acids. Activation of these receptors inhibits inflammation and also improves insulin sensitivity. This receptor has also effets including regulating hormone secretion from the gastro-intestinal system and pancreatic islets.
Disease:
Details: * On February 18, 2016, Axxam, an Italian drug discovery company with expertise in target biology and a broad and Neomed Institute, a Canadian public-private organization dedicated to drug discovery and the development of therapeutics up to human proof of concept, announced that they have entered into a strategic drug discovery partnership. The aim of the collaboration is to identify and develop novel small molecule agonists of FFA4 (also known as GPR120) linked to a range of metabolic and inflammatory diseases. Several preclinical studies and human genetics data support the development of a GPR120 agonist as a highly differentiated treatment of diabetes with potential to impact a number of parameters, including protection of the pancreatic ?-cells.
The collaboration will be based around the optimization of classes of molecules discovered using Axxam’s High Throughput Screening platform and the AXXDIV2.0 compound library. Under the terms of the collaboration, Axxam and Neomed will integrate their efforts to generate clinical candidates to be developed further to demonstrate clinical proof of concept.
Financial terms:
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