4SC Discovery And LEO Pharma Announce Exclusive Research And License Agreement For Inflammatory Skin Diseases

4SC AG (Frankfurt, Prime Standard: VSC), a discovery and development company of targeted small molecule drugs for autoimmune diseases and cancer, today announced that its fully-owned research subsidiary 4SC Discovery GmbH has entered into an exclusive research and license agreement with pharmaceutical company LEO Pharma A/S, Ballerup, Denmarkwith the primary aim of jointly researching, developing and commercialising an oral treatment for inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis.

The collaboration has the potential to result in a novel and convenient breakthrough therapy for chronic skin conditions. The innovative compound, currently in the early development state, has already been proven in preclinical models to significantly reduce if not entirely eradicate symptoms of psoriasis.

Under the agreement, LEO Pharma will issue an upfront payment of EUR 1 million to 4SC Discovery and additional funding for research and development. LEO Pharma will receive an exclusive option to license the worldwide marketing and commercialisation rights of the compound for use in inflammatory skin diseases, including psoriasis and other therapeutic areas. Upon LEO Pharma exercising the option, 4SC Discovery will be eligible for a milestone payment of up to EUR 3 million and further payments upon achieving specific development milestones of up to EUR 92 million as well as up to double-digit royalties.

Improving quality of life

The deal marks the latest milestone in LEO Pharma’s ambitious growth strategy, which involves actively seeking new opportunities to expand the company pipeline for the benefit of patients.

Kim Kjøller, Senior Vice President, Global Development, LEO Pharma, said: ”LEO Pharma is excited about the agreement with 4SC and the possibilities it offers patients. The compound has the potential to completely eradicate symptoms of psoriasis, liberating people from the burden of this chronic skin disease. LEO Pharma strives to constantly expand and improve treatment options for patients and this latest deal is the perfect example of our commitment to meeting patient needs with breakthrough novel therapies.”

New breakthrough therapy

For 4SC Discovery, the deal marks a key early-stage partnering deal with one of the company’s compounds from its research.

Dr. Daniel Vitt, Managing Director of 4SC Discovery GmbH and Chief Scientific Officer at 4SC AG, comments: “We are delighted to have won LEO Pharma, a global leader in skin diseases, as an ideal research and license partner for our highly innovative compound, which is based on the modulation of cytokines. Our goal is now to speed up and jointly develop a novel breakthrough therapy addressing the high medical need in chronic inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis. This partnership again demonstrates the great expertise and scientific potential of 4SC in the fields of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.”

Dr. Ulrich Dauer, Chief Executive Officer of 4SC AG, adds: “We are proud that our research subsidiary 4SC Discovery GmbH has entered into an early-stage partnering deal with such a renowned partner as LEO Pharma. This licensing partnership is another strong signal for the value generation potential of 4SC’s research and another clear fulfilment of the promise we made to the capital markets a year ago when we started 4SC Discovery with the intention to focus on a stronger commercialisation of our early-stage research activities.”