AstraZeneca inks deal with Orca for autoimmune disease drugs

25 February 2015

Anglo-Swedish pharma major AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN) and Orca Pharmaceuticals, a UK based biopharmaceutical company, today announced a three year collaboration to develop inhibitors of retinoic acid–related orphan nuclear receptor gamma (ROR). Inhibitors of this receptor are believed to have potential against a wide range of autoimmune diseases for which there is currently no safe, effective oral treatment.

ROR plays a key role in the immune system. Specifically, it helps to convert a population of immune cells called CD4+ T cells into T-helper 17 (TH17) cells which, in turn, produce chemicals (cytokines) that drive the immune response. However, excessive activity of TH17 cells and other ROR+ immune cells has been implicated in a wide range of conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis, arthritis and multiple sclerosis.

Deal worth a potential $122.5 million to Orca

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