COUR Pharmaceuticals, a biotech company based in Chicago, has entered into a significant partnership with Roche’s Genentech to develop and commercialize treatments for an undisclosed autoimmune disease. This collaboration follows just ten months after COUR closed a $105 million Series A round. The deal marks an exciting chapter for the company, which will now leverage Roche’s extensive expertise alongside its own proprietary antigen-specific immune tolerance platform.
Under the agreement, Roche will pay COUR $40 million upfront, along with additional milestone payments in the near term. Development, commercial, and net sales milestones could push the total value of the partnership to exceed $900 million, with COUR also eligible for tiered royalties based on sales. The collaboration will divide responsibilities between the two companies, with COUR handling preclinical development and the technical transfer of manufacturing. Meanwhile, Genentech will lead the clinical development, regulatory filings, and commercialization efforts for the therapies.
“We are thrilled to partner with Genentech, a company with a long history of innovation, to advance disease-modifying therapies leveraging COUR’s antigen-specific immune tolerance platform,” said Dannielle Appelhans, President and CEO of COUR Pharmaceuticals. Appelhans, who was promoted to CEO in September following the departure of founder John Puisis, revealed that the collaboration had been in the works for a few years. The partnership solidified once the companies agreed on a specific autoimmune disease indication, which remains undisclosed.
COUR Pharmaceuticals is known for its cutting-edge immune tolerance platform, designed to reprogram the immune system and target the root causes of immune-mediated diseases. The company has already developed standalone programs for myasthenia gravis (MG) and type 1 diabetes. Its MG asset entered a Phase Ib/IIa trial in October, while the diabetes candidate is still in preclinical studies but is expected to enter clinical trials next year.
Roche is not the first major partner for COUR Pharmaceuticals. The biotech also has a collaboration with Takeda to develop a treatment for celiac disease, with Takeda leading the development efforts. In addition, COUR previously partnered with Ironwood Pharmaceuticals on a mid-stage program for primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), though Ironwood announced last month that it would terminate the collaboration after unsatisfactory Phase II data.
The partnership with Roche adds to COUR’s growing portfolio of collaborations and provides significant resources for its immune tolerance platform. In January, COUR raised $105 million in a Series A funding round co-led by Lumira Ventures and Alpha Wave Ventures, with participation from Roche Venture Fund, Pfizer, and Bristol Myers Squibb. This funding round helped solidify COUR’s financial position as it continues to advance its research and development programs.
The focus of COUR’s platform is to induce immune tolerance by selectively targeting antigens involved in autoimmune diseases. This approach differs from traditional treatments that often suppress the entire immune system, which can lead to various side effects. COUR’s platform aims to address the root cause of autoimmune diseases, offering the potential for more effective and less toxic therapies.
By partnering with Roche’s Genentech, COUR gains access to a global network of resources and expertise in clinical development and commercialization. Genentech’s extensive experience in bringing innovative therapies to market will be crucial as the collaboration moves forward. The partnership is expected to accelerate the development of new treatments for autoimmune diseases and could ultimately lead to groundbreaking therapies with the potential to change the lives of patients suffering from these conditions.
As part of the collaboration, COUR will focus on preclinical development and the technical aspects of manufacturing, ensuring that the therapies are ready for clinical testing. Genentech will take the lead in clinical development, regulatory filings, and commercialization efforts, bringing the therapies to a global market. The deal positions both companies to make significant strides in the autoimmune disease treatment space, potentially bringing new options to patients with limited treatment alternatives.
This partnership highlights the growing interest in the autoimmune disease market, which is expected to continue expanding as the understanding of immune system dysfunction deepens. COUR Pharmaceuticals, with its innovative platform and strategic collaborations, is well-positioned to become a leader in this space. The deal with Roche is just the latest in a series of promising steps for the company, and it signals strong potential for success in developing new therapies for autoimmune diseases.
