Xenon achieves milestone in Genentech collaboration to discover novel pain targets

Xenon and Genentech have successfully discovered and identified a novel pain target by leveraging Xenon’s Extreme Genetics platform based on the study of rare phenotypes of individuals who have either an inability to perceive pain or have non-precipitated spontaneous severe pain.

Xenon president and CEO Simon Pimstone said: "We are proud of our progress in our discovery collaboration with Genentech, which underscores the potential of our Extreme Genetics discovery platform and our ability to identify novel targets and pathways that may play a causal role in the sensation of pain.

"There is a critical need for non-opioid alternatives for patients with chronic pain. We look forward to working further with Genentech to discover additional targets that could yield novel therapeutics."

About the Xenon-Genentech Pain Genetics Collaboration

In March 2014, Xenon and Genentech established a pain genetics discovery collaboration with the goal of discovering and validating new therapeutic targets and mechanisms for treating pain.

The collaboration leverages Xenon’s Extreme Genetics discovery platform to focus on identifying genetic targets associated with rare phenotypes where individuals have an inability to perceive pain or where individuals have non-precipitated spontaneous severe pain.

Pursuant to the terms of the collaboration agreement, Genentech paid Xenon an upfront payment of $1.5 million and Xenon is eligible for approximately $2.0 million in additional milestone payments, which figure includes the recently earned milestone payment. This collaboration agreement built on the strategic alliance established between Xenon and Genentech in 2011 for the discovery and development of selective oral inhibitors of Nav1.7 and companion diagnostics for the potential treatment of pain.