23 February 2018 - - Osaka, Japan-based R and D-driven pharmaceutical company Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd. (TSX: 4502) has entered into a research, development and commercial collaboration and multi-program option agreement with Wave Life Sciences Ltd. to develop antisense oligonucleotides for genetically-defined neurological diseases, the company said.
The first component of the collaboration with Wave will focus on programs targeting Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease), frontotemporal dementia, and spinocerebellar ataxia type 3, with the option to co-develop and co-commercialize after demonstration of clinical proof of mechanism..
Wave is developing oligonucleotide therapeutics to target diseases that have been historically difficult to treat with small molecules or biologics. Their molecules are designed to reduce the expression of disease-promoting proteins or to transform the production of dysfunctional mutant proteins into the production of functional proteins, with the potential of treating the targeted disease.
The second component of the collaboration provides Takeda with the rights to exclusively license multiple preclinical programs targeting other neurological disorders including Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. At any one time during a four-year term, the companies may collaborate on up to six preclinical programs.
Takeda is a research-based global company with its main focus on pharmaceuticals. The company has a commercial presence covering around 70 countries, with particular strength in Asia, North America, Europe, and fast-growing emerging markets including Latin America, Russia-CIS and China. Areas of R and D focus include central nervous system, cardiovascular and metabolic, gastroenterology, oncology, and vaccines.