Amgen and Array BioPharma have entered a collaboration agreement for the discovery and development of novel drugs for autoimmune disorders. The undisclosed target and lead inhibitors were discovered through Array’s proprietary platform that leverages Array’s expertise in chemistry and early lead development.

“We are pleased to enter this collaboration with Array that builds on our continued focus in inflammation, one of Amgen’s key strategic areas of interest,” said Flavius Martin, vice president of research, inflammation and oncology, Amgen. “We look forward to partnering with Array BioPharma to advance molecules into the clinic that may offer a new treatment option for patients.”

Nicholas Saccomano, chief scientific officer, Array BioPharma, said, “We look forward to collaborating with Amgen, a leader in treatments for inflammatory disease, on this exciting target, which was discovered using Array’s proprietary Kinase-Directed Phenotypic Screening Platform. The identification of this novel target, along with our team’s deep experience in kinase inhibitor chemistry, gives us confidence that our efforts will result in a drug which will address a significant unmet medical need for patients with inflammatory disease.”

Amgen and Array will collaborate on preclinical development with Array leading the medicinal chemistry work. Amgen is responsible for clinical development and commercialization. In exchange for exclusive rights to Array’s preclinical program, Amgen will make upfront and milestone payments, as well as pay royalties on sales of resulting therapies.