SEED Inks Research Collaboration with Eisai for Neurodegeneration and Oncology Indications
SEED inks research collaboration with Eisai to discover and develop novel molecular glue degraders for neurodegeneration and oncology indications
Overview
SEED Therapeutics Inc. (SEED), a biotechnology company focused on harnessing and engineering molecular glues for targeted protein degradation (TPD) of disease-causing proteins, announced a strategic research collaboration with Eisai Co., Ltd. (Eisai) to discover, develop, and commercialize novel molecular glue degraders for multiple undisclosed neurodegeneration and oncology targets. The collaboration is coupled with a Series A-3 financing led by Eisai.
Key Aspects of the SEED – Eisai collaboration:
Collaboration roles: SEED will lead preclinical discovery activities for the selected targets, including E3 ligase selection and identification of the appropriate molecular glue degraders. Eisai will have exclusive rights to develop and commercialize compounds derived from this collaboration.
Financial terms: SEED is entitled to receive upfront payment and preclinical, clinical, regulatory and sales milestone payments of up to $1.5 billion, plus tiered royalties upon Eisai’s exercise of their exclusive rights under the strategic research collaboration.
Post Collab
The SEED–Eisai collaboration follows a separate and on-going research collaboration between SEED and Eli Lilly to discover and develop molecular glue degraders for undisclosed targets.
Series A-3 Financing
Series A-3 financing: SEED also announces a Series A-3 financing with a first close of $24 million from investors led by Eisai. A second close is targeted for Q4 2024.
The Series A-3 financing is expected to further accelerate SEED’s clinical development of internal proprietary programs in cancer and in neurodegeneration, expand its TPD platform and pipeline, and supplement prior investments from Eli Lilly and BeyondSpring.
SEED Soon to Begin Phase I
SEED will advance its internal, potentially “best-in-class” oral RBM39 Degrader into phase 1 safety/efficacy testing beginning in 2025 for rationally selected, biomarker-driven cancer indications. SEED’s programme will build on Eisai’s pioneering discovery of a class of RBM39 degraders over three decades.
SEED will also progress its internal Tau degrader programme (for Alzheimer’s disease) into in vivo efficacy in 2025, and IND in 2026.
TPD Platform Development
SEED will scale its proprietary TPD platform development. With global neurodegeneration drug development leaders Eisai and Eli Lilly as investors and research collaborators, SEED will extend its research and thought leadership in the discovery and development of oral molecular glues for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
Words from the CEO: Eisai
Dr. Takashi Owa, Eisai’s chief scientific officer stated: “SEED has a cutting-edge technology platform to discover a class of molecular-glue target protein degraders, one of the most highlighted modalities in the modern drug discovery. While the anti-myeloma drug lenalidomide from the molecular-glue class has been successful in the oncology field, our research collaboration will also focus on utilizing this modality in the neurology field.”
“Our collaboration with SEED is unique and clearly differentiated, and I look forward to learning of the important progress being made by both companies to achieve Social Good.”
From the SEED’s co-founder
Dr. Lan Huang, SEED’s co-founder, chairman, and CEO added, “We are honoured to collaborate with Eisai, a world-leading drug development powerhouse, to discover impactful medicines for undruggable targets. Looking ahead, SEED’s unique molecular glue discovery platform on neurodegenerative disease will be further strengthened through our collaborations with both Eli Lilly and Eisai (under separate collaboration agreements), two global pioneers in the timely development of treatments for neurodegeneration, including approved therapies for Alzheimer’s disease.”
“Finally, having demonstrated the scalability and versatility of our TPD platform through the success of multiple pipeline programs across various key therapeutic indications, our Series A-3 financing and non-dilutive funding of R&D milestone payments from both Eli Lilly and Eisai, SEED is well-positioned to advance our internal high-profile programs into clinics, and to create great value for patients and our shareholders.”
About SEED Therapeutics
SEED Therapeutics is an innovative biotech company focused on harnessing and engineering “molecular glues” and TPD to attack previously undruggable targets.
Backed by a comprehensive intellectual property portfolio, SEED’s mission is to positively improve human health by developing novel protein degradation therapeutics to treat various diseases that currently have limited treatment options for patients.
Eisai’s Corporate Concept is “to give first thought to patients and people in the daily living domain, and to increase the benefits that health care provides.”
About BeyondSpring
BeyondSpring is a global clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative therapies to improve clinical outcomes for patients with high unmet medical needs.
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