Under the deal terms, Macomics will be responsible for identifying and characterising the antibody candidates against a new target leveraging its Enigmac macrophage drug discovery platform.
Ono Pharmaceutical will hold an exclusive option to license global rights to further develop and commercialise the candidates.
The company will make an upfront payment to Macomics, which will also receive R&D funding, along with progress-based milestone payments, and tiered royalties on the global net sales of the products.
Macomics CEO Stephen Myatt said: “This global collaboration with Ono is testament to our strong program portfolio, and the unique enablement offered by our Enigmac discovery platform, and our world class R&D team.
“Ono is a leader in immuno-oncology and we are delighted to have a partner in Ono who brings the complementary skills necessary to succeed in this therapeutic area.”
To discover new targets and unlock disease specific target biology, the company’s Enigmac macrophage drug discovery platform combines high-volume human data sets, custom cell models, and human macrophage genome editing capability.
Macrophages (TAMs) are frequently the most abundant immune cell many types of cancer and modulating TAMs can enhance the ability of the body to fight cancer.
Ono Pharmaceutical Discovery & Research senior executive officer / executive director Toichi Takino said: “Targeting macrophages in immune-oncology is emerging as an exciting area with significant opportunity to deliver novel therapeutics to improve cancer outcomes and to change the lives of patients with cancer.
“Macomics has demonstrated the power of its macrophage platform and drug discovery approach and we are delighted to partner with them on taking this novel target discovery programme forwards.”