BridGene Biosciences Inc. has entered a strategic collaboration and licensing agreement with Takeda through which it will use its chemoproteomics platform, IMTAC, to discover novel small molecule drug candidates against challenging targets in immunology and neurology. The companies will work together to advance these projects through hit finding and early lead development. Takeda will have exclusive rights to develop and commercialize any potential products identified through the collaboration.

The research collaboration includes multiple targets and leverages the strength of BridGene’s IMTAC platform, which excels at discovering potential small molecule drugs against traditionally undruggable targets by employing a chemoproteomics-based approach.

Under the terms of the agreement, BridGene will receive $46 million in combined upfront and potential preclinical milestone payments, with additional clinical and commercial milestone payments that could total approximately $770 million if all milestones are met throughout the term of the agreement. BridGene is also eligible to receive tiered royalties on net sales of any products that may result from the collaboration.

“We are excited to continue our collaboration with Takeda in the discovery of novel therapeutics targeting challenging areas of immunology and neurology,” stated Ping Cao, Ph.D., Co-Founder and CEO of BridGene Biosciences. “This partnership highlights the potential of our IMTAC platform in uncovering first-in-class therapies while complementing Takeda’s extensive clinical and commercial expertise.”

“The collaboration with BridGene underscores our commitment to pioneering advancements in neurology and immunology to transform patient care through cutting-edge science,” said Christopher Arendt, Ph.D., Head of Research and CSO at Takeda. “By integrating BridGene’s IMTAC platform with Takeda’s scientific expertise, we aim to unlock a broader range of targets that have been considered undruggable, aligning with our core strategy in small molecule drug discovery.”