Under the agreement, Suzhou will use anti-inflammatory compounds and the method to develop small molecule compounds to treat allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis.
Financial terms and molecular targets of Suzhou’s deal with Arena have not been disclosed.
Connect Biopharmaceuticals co-founder and CEO and Arena immunology former director Zheng Wei said the agreement provides the company with an opportunity to address such limitations by advancing drug candidates with novel mechanisms of action.
"It comes on the heels of our recent financing round, which enables us to fund the program into clinical proof-of-concept studies," Wei added.
Arena Pharmaceuticals executive vice president and chief scientific officer Dominic Behan said, "We look forward to Connect’s advancement of the novel anti-inflammatory compounds that comprise this program."