14 November 2019 - - Danish drugmaker LEO Pharma A/S and Chinese biotechnology company HitGen Inc. have expanded their collaboration with a license to develop a novel class of drugs for a dermatology indication, the companies said.
The licensed compounds were identified using HitGen's leading technology platform, which involved screening DNA encoded libraries, containing over 400 bn small molecules with drug-like properties, synthesized on a broad range of structurally diverse scaffolds.
A number of novel small molecule leads for an undisclosed target nominated by LEO Pharma are subject of this license.
Under the terms of the collaboration agreement, HitGen will grant exclusive rights to LEO Pharma to develop and commercialize the licensed compounds. HitGen will be eligible for preclinical and clinical milestone payments from LEO Pharma as the project progresses, in addition to an option exercise fee.
To date HitGen has initiated screening efforts on multiple LEO Pharma discovery programs related to dermatology. These programs are at various stages of screening, selection, synthesis and validation.
HitGen is a rapidly growing biotech company with headquarters and custom-built research facilities based in Chengdu, China, with a subsidiary based in Houston, TX USA.
HitGen has established a platform for early-stage drug discovery research focused on DNA encoded chemical libraries. HitGen's DELs include encoded syntheses for more than 400 bn novel, diverse, drug-like small molecule and macrocycle compounds.
These compounds are members of DELs synthesized from many hundreds of distinct chemical scaffolds, designed and assembled with tractable chemistry based on proven results for identifying drug-like leads against biological targets from known and novel classes, including so-called "hard to drug" classes such as protein-protein interactions.
HitGen is working with multiple pharmaceutical and biotech companies, foundations and research institutes in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa to discover and develop the novel therapeutics of the future.
LEO Pharma helps people achieve healthy skin. The company is in medical dermatology with an R and D pipeline, a wide range of therapies and a pioneering spirit.
Founded in 1908 and owned by the LEO Foundation, LEO Pharma has devoted decades of research and development to advance the science of dermatology, setting new standards of care for people with skin conditions. LEO Pharma is headquartered in Denmark with a global team of 6,000 people, serving 76m patients in 130 countries.