Inception IBD Inc., a Québec-based biotechnology company, and Inserm Transfer Initiative, have entered an exclusive, strategic collaboration with Celgene to discover and develop therapeutics for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
 
Inception IBD will work to advance small molecule therapeutics from preclinical discovery to late preclinical development and is eligible to receive as much as $40 million during the course of the collaboration. The alliance allows Inception IBD to significantly expand current drug discovery efforts, while Celgene will have a right to acquire the company following the collaboration.
 
Inception IBD is developing a novel approach to drug discovery based on genomic targets identified from tissue analysis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients and a translational platform developed by leading academics in the field. These capabilities allow the company to focus on unique hallmarks of the disease including epithelial barrier dysfunction.
 
“We are excited to partner with Celgene on this effort,” said Paul Anderson, chief scientific officer of Inception IBD and site head of Inception Montréal. “We believe there is significant unmet need in IBD for differentiated therapeutic approaches and are committed to developing drugs and biomarkers that can bring real improvement to patient care.”
 
“Our enthusiasm for the Inception Sciences Montréal team, their technology, and their connections to academic leaders in Inflammatory Bowel Disease is reflected in this important extension of our commitment to provide innovative therapies for these patients,” said Rupert Vessey, senior vice president, Translational Development at Celgene.