Sosei Heptares and GSK collaborate on GI immune disorders

Japan’s Sosei Group (TYO: 4565) saw its shares gain 6.3% to 1,645 yen today, after it announced a global collaboration and license agreement with UK pharma major GlaxoSmithKline (LSE: GSK).

The single-target agreement is focused on the discovery and development of selective, oral, small molecule agonists of GPR35, an important orphan G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) with genetic association to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other gastrointestinal immune disorders, for which there remains significant unmet need for millions of sufferers worldwide.

Under the agreement, GSK licenses global rights to a portfolio of GPR35 agonists designed by Sosei Heptares using its StaR technology and structure-based drug design (SBDD) platform. The licensed portfolio includes an advanced lead preclinical compound as well as multiple differentiated back-up compounds.