Roches Genentech inks deal with Sosei Heptares

Sosei Heptares has announced a multi-target research collaboration and license agreement with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, to discover and develop novel medicines that modulate G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) targets of interest to Genentech. Under the terms of the agreement, Sosei Heptares is eligible to receive US$26 million in upfront and near-term payments, in addition to future milestone payments that may exceed US$1 billion for achieving pre-specified research, development and commercialisation events. Sosei Heptares is also eligible to receive royalty payments on the net sales of potential future medicines resulting from the collaboration. The proposed collaboration will combine the proprietary GPCR-focused structure-based drug design capabilities at Sosei Heptares with Genentech's discovery, development and therapeutic area expertise directed towards multiple GPCR targets nominated by Genentech. The nominated targets represent promising new therapeutic intervention points across a range of diseases. Genentech will then be responsible for developing and commercialising potential new medicines for each novel target and will have exclusive global rights to these agents.