NovImmune, an antibody-focused research and development biotech company, has successfully entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Genentech Inc a member of the Roche Group for a proprietary anti-IL-17 fully human monoclonal antibody, and access to back-up antibodies. Recently, the IL-17 signalling pathway has received significant academic and corporate interest as its manipulation may potentially provide new treatment opportunities for major medical conditions. The anti-IL-17 antibody was generated by NovImmune’s research team and is currently in late preclinical development.

Under the terms of the agreement NovImmune will receive an upfront payment and is eligible to receive clinical milestones and royalties on sales. Full financial terms have not been disclosed.

Jack Barbut, CEO, commented, "We believe Genentech is the right partner for NovImmune for this programme. Genentech brings an in-depth understanding of IL-17 biology and extensive experience in its ability to potentially identify patient populations that may benefit from such a compound thus maximizing chances of successful development."

James Sabry, vice president of Genentech Partnering, said, "Genentech is very pleased to have the opportunity to work with NovImmune on the development and potential commercialization of this anti-IL-17 antibody. We are hopeful that it has the potential to benefit patients across a range of autoimmune diseases."

NovImmune SA is a drug discovery and development company with a focus on therapeutic mAbs for inflammatory diseases and immune-related disorders.

Founded more than 30 years ago, Genentech is a leading biotechnology company that discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes medicines to treat patients with serious or life-threatening medical conditions.