Takeda partners with Cour on celiac and other GI diseases

Japan’s largest drugmaker Takeda Pharmaceutical (TYO: 4502) and USA-based privately-held Cour Pharmaceutical Development Company have entered a partnership to research and develop novel immune modulating therapies for the potential treatment of celiac disease.

The partnership will focus on using nanotechnologies based on Cour’s Tolerizing Immune Modifying nanoParticle (TIMP) platform, which can be extended to certain autoimmune and allergic conditions by inhibiting the abnormal immune responses that cause disease, without affecting the beneficial parts of the immune system.

The collaboration will explore the potential of TIMP therapy to allow celiac patients to tolerate gluten in their diet. The TIMPs, developed in cooperation with Northwestern University researchers, consist of a proprietary polymer and antigenic proteins, which are fully encapsulated for safety and administered intravenously. The TIMP compounds target the underlying cause of celiac disease by systemically targeting and controlling, gluten-reactive T-cells in patients, as opposed to broad immunosuppression.

Terms of the deal

Cour will receive upfront and success based milestone payments from Takeda leading to an exclusive option to acquire a global license to the TIMP-GLIA program after the completion of the Phase IIa clinical trial. Cour will also receive royalties on sales of any successful commercialized products resulting from the partnership. Takeda will also have the option to collaborate on up to three additional TIMP compounds each with development, regulatory, and sales milestones and royalties on sales. Further details of the agreement were not disclosed.