Morphic to collaborate with Janssen to develop integrin therapeutics

Morphic has attained leadership position in the development of oral integrin inhibitors with the help of the ground-breaking structural research

Morphic Therapeutic, the Massachusetts-based biotechnology company recently announced that it has entered into a R&D collaboration with Janssen Biotech for the discovery and development of novel integrin therapeutics for patients whose medical issues are not sufficiently addressed by current therapies.

According to reliable sources, the transaction has been facilitated by Johnson & Johnson Innovation LLC. The collaboration will focus on several integrin targets and is expected to explore both activators and inhibitors of integrin function.

Morphic has attained leadership position in the development of oral integrin inhibitors with the help of the ground-breaking structural research conducted by Dr. Tim Springer, the founding scientist of Morphic Therapeutic. Applying this platform to all 24 recognized human integrins has potentially expanded the drug discovery abilities of Morphic as well as has extended its pipeline and taken therapeutic applications of Morphic drug candidates across a diverse set of disease which reflects the integrins’ significant role in many cellular processes.

Praveen Tipirneni, M.D., President and CEO, Morphic Therapeutic, has been reported to say that the Morphic team is pleased to have Janssen join its network of collaborators which would help it to develop a new generation of oral integrin medicines.

He added that the Morphic team’s mission is driven by the dysregulation of the diverse integrin family which is implicated in many conditions. The team is therefore systematically and rapidly interrogating this target class from an activation as well as inhibition perspective. The collaboration offers opportunities to improve oral integrin development into new extents of research which apparently creates value for all Morphic’s internal programs and speeds up the validation of its platform.

Under the terms of the agreement Morphic will receive multiple preclinical development from Janssen with clinical and commercial milestone payments amounting to $725 million on the achievements of milestones. Morphic is also slated to receive royalties on the basis of global net sales for products resulting from the partnership.