UCB (Braine-l’Alleud, Belgium) and FivePrime Therapeutics (San Francisco, CA.) in collaboration for the discovery of innovative biologic targets and therapeutics

UCB and Five Prime Therapeutics have recently entered a strategic collaboration for the discovery of innovative biologics targets and therapeutics for fibrosis-related inflammatory diseases and central nervous system (CNS) disorders.

UCB, located in the Wallonia region of Belgium (Braine-l’Alleud), is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative solutions to transform the lives of patients living with severe diseases of the immune system or of the central nervous system. This collaboration will provide UCB exclusive access to FivePrime’s drug discovery platforms in up to five programs in order to identify new targets and disease mechanisms. Furthermore, the agreement will give scientists the opportunity to collaboratively design assays to screen FivePrime’s unique comprehensive library of approximately 5,600 proteins (functional-secreted proteins, and transmembrane-receptor proteins also known as ligand traps). Ismail Kola, (Executive Vice President and President, NewMedicines at UCB) defined FivePrime’s protein library, containing nearly every antibody target and ligand trap, as being “unique in the industry”.

FivePrime, a clinical-stage biotechnology company working on the discovery and development of innovative antibody and protein therapeutics, will use its technology to identify potential drug targets and drug candidates in fibrosis-related inflammatory diseases and CNS disorders while UCB, a global leader in the research and development of biologics, will bring tremendous expertise to this collaboration and have the opportunity to further it’s growth and development. UCB has in fact been given the option to exclusively license rights to selected protein targets discovered by FivePrime through this collaboration.

Kola further described how “FivePrime’s in vitro and in vivo screening technologies will offer powerful means of finding new targets and biologic medicines that will be integral to supporting UCB’s strategy aiming to improve the lives of people living with severe diseases.” The announcement of this latest partnership superbly demonstrates UCB’s mission: delivering new solutions for patients driven by science and a commitment to pursuing its quest for new knowledge through partnerships.

Taking the initiative to collaborate with universities, industry partners and leading scientists such as this, is the latest example of how UCB is building super-networks of innovation to provide sustainable value for people living with severe diseases, some of which may be the key to unlocking the medicines of the future.

which may be the key to unlocking the medicines of the future.

Hat’s Off to UCB and FivePrime for so wonderfully demonstrating how collaboration can lead to innovation!