Astellas Pharma Enters into Collaboration and Option Agreement with Cullgen
Thursday, June 15, 2023
Astellas Pharma and Cullgen have entered into a research collaboration and exclusive option agreement to discover multiple innovative protein degraders.
This partnership aims to develop targeted protein degraders by combining Cullgen's uSMITE™ targeted protein degradation platform with Astellas' drug discovery capabilities.
Under the terms of the agreement, Cullgen and Astellas will conduct joint research activities to identify potential compounds for clinical development. Following this research phase, Astellas will have the exclusive option to licence the rights for clinical development and commercialisation of the protein degrader compounds that are discovered during the collaboration.
This collaboration is expected to bring together the cutting-edge research capabilities of both companies, creating synergies that will contribute to the expansion of Astellas' portfolio. Ultimately, the development of new therapeutics through protein degradation could address significant unmet medical needs and benefit patients.
Cullgen's uSMITE™ platform is based on novel E3 ligands, which play a crucial role in protein degradation. By leveraging this platform along with Astellas' expertise, the two companies aim to identify clinical development candidates for protein degraders.
