Biogen, Neomorph partner to advance molecular glue degraders for neurologic conditions

Biogen Inc. and Neomorph Inc. have announced a partnership geared toward research and development of molecular glue degraders to address protein accumulation related to Alzheimer’s disease and other neurologic conditions.

In a press release, Biogen said it intends to utilize Neomorph's proprietary molecular glue discovery platform to accelerate the identification and validation of novel small molecule degraders.

These protein degraders have been shown to effectively enter cells and influence their waste disposal mechanisms to remove harmful proteins indicative of disease pathology, according to the release.

“As part of our modality agnostic research strategy, Biogen is committed to investing in new approaches to unlock biological targets that have remained difficult to reach,” Jane Grogan, PhD, head of research at Biogen, said in the release. “This collaboration with Neomorph reflects the approach we want to take to pair our internal drug development expertise with cutting-edge external innovation to create clinically meaningful therapies for patients.”

Terms of the agreement stipulate that both companies will work jointly to identify, validate and optimize the glue degraders for several high-priority targets, with Biogen ultimately responsible for advancement of viable clinical candidates for development and eventual commercialization.

Neomorph is expected to receive contingent payments based on pre-clinical, clinical, regulatory, commercial and sales milestones, which may amount to as much as $1.45 billion, as well as additional future royalties, per the release.

“Neomorph's molecular glue degrader platform represents a unique approach to drug discovery,” Phil Chamberlain, DPhil, co-founder, president and CEO of Neomorph, said in the release. “We are excited to partner with Biogen, a leader in Alzheimer’s, rare, and immunological diseases, to explore the potential of our technology in addressing some of the most challenging and valuable targets in these fields.”