Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Tokyo:4502) (NYSE:TAK) announced on Thursday a collaboration and licensing agreement with Zedira and Dr. Falk Pharma to develop a potential first-in-class treatment for coeliac disease.

The partners intend to develop ZED1227/TAK-227, a Phase 2b investigational therapy for the treatment of coeliac disease which is designed to prevent the immune response to gluten.

Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease in which the ingestion of gluten leads to inflammation and damage to the small intestine. There are currently no approved therapies for the treatment of coeliac disease.

Originally discovered by Zedira, Dr. Falk Pharma licensed the European rights to ZED1227 from Zedira in 2011 and assumed responsibility for its preclinical and clinical development.

Under the terms of the agreement, Takeda and Dr. Falk Pharma will conduct global clinical studies for TAK-227 in coeliac disease. Takeda will receive an exclusive licence to develop and commercialise TAK-227 in the United States and other territories outside of Europe, Canada, Australia and China.

Zedira and Dr. Falk Pharma will receive an upfront payment and are eligible to receive potential development, regulatory and commercial milestones, as well as royalties on net sales.

"Takeda's R&D expertise in gastroenterology, commercial footprint, and its strong commitment to develop therapies to treat coeliac disease, make it an ideal partner to help us bring TAK-227 to patients," said Martin Hils, Ph.D., CEO of Zedira.