BMS partners with drug accelerator to launch biotech
Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) and BioMotiv, a drug development accelerator, have launched Anteros Pharmaceuticals, a biotech focused on developing a new class of drugs for fibrotic and other inflammatory diseases.
Anteros is the first of several companies that BioMotiv and BMS intend to form under their strategic partnership agreement, announced in September 2019.
BioMotiv is associated with the Harrington Project for Discovery & Development, a $340 million initiative focused on advancing early-stage breakthrough discoveries from research institutions into medicines.
Satish Jindal, BioMotiv’s CEO, said: “Anteros will focus on refining a new class of drug candidates for inflammatory diseases, where currently there are no real answers to multiple diseases that afflict millions of patients.”
Yale University developed the IP behind Anteros before it was in-licensed by BMS and subsequently assigned to Anteros.
Under the terms of the partnership, BMS will contribute the IP, data, and reagents for a series of small molecules against an undisclosed mechanism.
BioMotiv, through the formation of Anteros Pharmaceuticals and working in close partnership with Yale, will be solely responsible for research and development.
Rupert Vessey, executive vice president, research and early development at BMS, said: “BMS is committed to partnering with innovative collaborators like BioMotiv, which expand our reach and capabilities in early-stage research.
“These types of partnerships also enable us to progress the transformational research being performed at leading academic institutions such as Yale and effectively translate those discoveries into new therapies for patients.”
Once Anteros nominates a pre-clinical candidate, BMS has the option to acquire the company from BioMotiv under pre-agreed terms.
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