Syneron Bio, an oral macrocyclic peptide drug biotech company, has partnered with AstraZeneca to develop potential first-in-class macrocyclic peptides for the treatment of chronic diseases.

Under this collaboration, AstraZeneca will gain access to Syneron Bio’s Synova platform, an intelligent and high-throughput macrocyclic peptide drug research and development platform designed to support the advancements of research programs exploring possible future treatments of chronic diseases, including rare, autoimmune, and metabolic disease.

Under the terms of the agreements, AstraZeneca will provide upfront payments and potential near-term milestone payments totaling $75 million and up to $3.4 billion in additional development and commercial milestones. In addition, tiered royalties will be paid based on global sales. AstraZeneca will also make an equity investment. As a result of this collaboration, Syneron Bio plans to expand its Beijing R&D center.

Dr. Frank Zhang, Founder and CEO of Syneron Bio, commented, “We are honored to partner with AstraZeneca. Interest in our Synova platform is incredibly inspiring and driven by the promising research and results we have already delivered. In the face of growing challenges posed by chronic diseases such as autoimmune and metabolic disorders, this collaboration underscores our commitment to advancing drug development.”