BRIEF—Almirall to use HitGen tech in drug discovery

China’s HitGen and Spain’s Almirall have agreed terms for a research collaboration to leverage the former’s DNA-encoded library design, synthesis and screening technology to isolate novel small molecule leads for targets of interest.

HitGen will receive an undisclosed upfront payment, plus milestones. Almirall’s chief scientific officer Bhushan Hardas said the deal: “keeps us on track to achieve our goal of becoming a leading medical dermatology company.”

He added: “We look forward to collaborating with HitGen in identifying new molecules with the potential of becoming new treatment options for patients with atopic dermatitis.”