Apr.19.2022
Licensing

Ono Enters into Collaboration Agreement with Domain Therapeutics and Université de Montréal for GPCR-Targeted Drug Discovery

 Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Osaka, Japan; President and CEO: Gyo Sagara; “Ono”) today announced that it has newly signed a collaboration agreement with Domain Therapeutics S.A. (Strasbourg, France; CEO: Pascal Neuville; “Domain”) and Université de Montréal (Québec, Canada; “UdM”), to discover novel small molecules targeting G-Protein Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) in a metabolic disease area.

 Under the agreement, Ono will collaborate with Domain and UdM utilizing the bioSens-All® technology GPCR drug discovery platform, in-licensed by Domain from UdM, and their expertise in GPCR medicinal chemistry and pharmacology to design and optimize innovative small molecules against a GPCR selected as therapeutic target by Ono, for future drug development program.

 Ono will have worldwide exclusive rights to develop and commercialize any pharmaceutical product arising out of the drug discovery collaboration. Ono will pay to Domain and UdM an upfront payment, research funding for the collaborative research programs, success-based milestones on the research and development progress, as well as royalties on future sales.

 “We highly appreciate Domain’s and UdM’s bioSens-All® technology platform for detection of the proximal signaling pathways of GPCR,” said Toichi Takino, Senior Executive Officer / Executive Director, Discovery & Research of Ono. “We look forward to collaborating with Domain and UdM, having world-class top scientists for GPCR research, to create and bring innovative therapeutic drugs for patients suffering from metabolic diseases with unmet medical needs as soon as possible.”

 “‘At Domain, we are delighted to build on our long-term relationship with Ono pharma and UdM,” commented Stephan Schann, Domain Therapeutics’ Vice President of Research and Partnerships. “The bioSens-All® technology platform constitute a disruptive approach to address GPCR drug discovery.”

 "Very early on, we have accumulated a great expertise on GPCR and its pharmacology,” notes Michel Bouvier, CEO of IRIC, Université de Montréal’s Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer. “This new alliance makes it possible to establish a strong link between our research team, Domain Therapeutics, a longtime partner, and Ono Pharmaceuticals, our new strategic partner, for the benefit of patients suffering from metabolic disease."

About GPCR

 GPCRs are members of a class of cell surface receptors conjugated with a G-protein, which signaling pathway is initiated by binding between the receptor and a hormone or bioactive molecule. GPCR targeted therapeutics comprise major drug classes in many disease areas, including CNS, metabolic, cardiovascular, respiratory, urinary and gastrointestinal diseases.

About Domain Therapeutics

 Domain Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company located in Strasbourg, France, dedicated to the discovery and development of new drug candidates targeting GPCRs, one of the most important classes of drug targets. Over the last decade, the company has created a proprietary pipeline of GPCR targeting assets. The company’s objective is to sign multiple partnering agreements with pharmaceutical companies bringing its expertise and technology in the field of GPCR while developing its own pipeline of proprietary assets in immuno-oncology.
 bioSens-All® provides drug discovery teams the capability to interrogate the direct proximal signaling events covering core effectors engaged upon GPCR activation. bioSens-All® allows for a deeper understanding of proximal signaling profiles, providing a functional readout to evaluate the activities of small molecules or antibodies based on physiologically relevant signaling information.For more information: https://www.domaintherapeutics.com/

About Université de Montréal

 Deeply rooted in Montreal and dedicated to its international mission, Université de Montréal ranks among the top universities in the world, particularly in the French-speaking world. Founded in 1878, Université de Montréal today has 16 faculties and together with its two affiliated schools, HEC Montréal and École Polytechnique, constitutes the largest centre of higher education and research in Quebec and one of the major centres in North America. It brings together 2,600 professors and researchers, and more than 65,000 students. For more information: https://www.umontreal.ca