Janssen-Cilag GmbH has completed the acquisition of CorImmun GmbH, a privately held drug development company, for an undisclosed upfront payment and future milestones.
 
CorImmun's lead compound, COR-1, is a small cyclic peptide in early clinical development for the treatment of heart failure. COR-1 has been shown in preclinical studies to improve heart function by decreasing autoimmune, beta 1 receptor-simulating antibody effects. Janssen and its affiliates assume full development and global commercialization responsibilities.
 
“The prevalence of heart failure is rising rapidly, and COR-1 is an early stage development compound with a novel mechanism for treating heart failure that has the potential to improve heart function by suppressing antibodies that can exacerbate this condition,” said Peter M. DiBattiste, M.D., global therapeutic area head, Cardiovascular Disease and Metabolism at Janssen R&D. “This acquisition demonstrates Janssen's commitment to investing in innovative science in an area of great unmet medical need, where new therapies can improve the quality of patient care.”