NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – French firms Hybrigenics and Servier today announced a licensing and research deal targeting deubiquitinating enzymes, or DUBs, for various diseases that could result in the development of companion diagnostics.
Under the terms of the deal, Hybrigenics will identify and validate new targets among DUBs for cancer, diseases in neurology, psychiatry, rheumatology, and ophthalmology, as well as diabetes, and cardiovascular illness.
It will also screen potential therapeutic agents "able to modulate" four undisclosed targets that have already been chosen as DUBs of interest. Hybrigenics' work, it said, could lead to the discovery of companion diagnostics, "potentially needed for such therapeutic drugs."
Servier will provide the compounds to be screened, as well as develop the selected compounds, and commercialize any approved drugs.
Hybrigenics will receive an upfront payment and research funding totaling €4 million ($5.5 million). If certain milestones are reached, the company could be eligible for an additional €9.5 million for each target that leads to registration of a new drug and to royalties on sales of companion diagnostic kits, it said.