COUR Pharmaceuticals and Genentech Strike $900M+ Deal for Autoimmune Disease Treatment

COUR Pharmaceuticals and Genentech Strike $900M+ Deal for Autoimmune Disease Treatment

by John Conrad| Dec 3, 2024| Member News

COUR Pharmaceuticals has secured a strategic collaboration and licensing agreement with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, to develop and commercialize its tolerogenic nanoparticle treatments for autoimmune conditions. The partnership, announced via press release on December 3, 2024, brings together COUR's innovative platform technology with Genentech's extensive clinical development expertise.

The deal structure includes upfront and near-term milestone payments totaling $40 million for COUR. The agreement's full potential value could exceed $900 million through additional development, commercial, and net sales milestone payments, plus tiered royalties on net sales.

"This partnership represents a significant validation of COUR's proprietary tolerance platform," says industry analyst Sarah Chen, Ph.D. "The collaboration with Genentech, known for its strong presence in autoimmune disease treatments, could accelerate the development of these promising therapies."

Under the terms of the agreement, COUR will handle preclinical development and manufacturing technology transfer, while Genentech will take the lead on clinical development, regulatory submissions, and commercialization efforts. This division of responsibilities leverages each company's core strengths, with COUR's expertise in tolerogenic nanoparticle development complementing Genentech's extensive clinical development and commercialization capabilities.

COUR's President and Chief Executive Officer, Dannielle Appelhans, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, highlighting Genentech's track record of innovation and the potential impact on patient care. Boris L. Zaïtra, Head of Roche Corporate Business Development, emphasized the alignment with Genentech's commitment to advancing innovative science and developing transformative medicines.

The partnership builds on COUR's existing clinical programs, which include ongoing trials in Myasthenia Gravis and development work in Type 1 Diabetes. The company has already demonstrated success in first-in-human studies for Celiac Disease (in partnership with Takeda Pharmaceuticals) and Primary Biliary Cholangitis.

This collaboration marks another milestone in the growing field of tolerogenic therapies, which aim to address the root causes of autoimmune diseases rather than just managing symptoms. As these innovative treatments progress through development, they could potentially offer new hope to millions of patients affected by autoimmune conditions.