BridGene Biosciences Announces Strategic Collaboration with Takeda to Discover Small Molecule Drugs for Immunology and Neurology Targets

BridGene Eligible to Receive Upfront and Potential Milestone Payments of approximately $770 Million

SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- BridGene Biosciences, Inc., a leader in the discovery of small molecule drugs for traditionally "hard-to-drug" targets, announced today a strategic collaboration and licensing agreement with Takeda. Under the terms of the collaboration, BridGene will use its chemoproteomics platform, IMTAC™, to discover novel small molecule drug candidates against challenging targets in immunology and neurology. The companies will work together to advance these projects through hit finding and early lead development. Takeda will have exclusive rights to develop and commercialize any potential products identified through the collaboration.

The research collaboration includes multiple targets and leverages the unique strength of BridGene's IMTAC™ platform, which excels at discovering potential small molecule drugs against traditionally undruggable targets by employing a chemoproteomics-based approach. Under the terms of the agreement, BridGene will receive $46 million in combined upfront and potential preclinical milestone payments, with additional clinical and commercial milestone payments that could total approximately $770 million if all milestones are met throughout the term of the agreement. BridGene is also eligible to receive tiered royalties on net sales of any products that may result from the collaboration.

"We are excited to continue our collaboration with Takeda in the discovery of novel therapeutics targeting challenging areas of immunology and neurology," stated Ping Cao, Ph.D., Co-Founder and CEO of BridGene Biosciences. "This partnership highlights the potential of our IMTAC™ platform in uncovering first-in-class therapies while complementing Takeda's extensive clinical and commercial expertise."

"The collaboration with BridGene underscores our commitment to pioneering advancements in neurology and immunology to transform patient care through cutting-edge science," said Christopher Arendt, Ph.D., Head of Research and Chief Scientific Officer at Takeda. "By integrating BridGene's IMTAC™ platform with Takeda's scientific expertise, we aim to unlock a broader range of targets that have been considered undruggable, aligning with our core strategy in small molecule drug discovery."

About BridGene Biosciences
BridGene is a biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing innovative small molecules that drug traditionally undruggable targets, providing new paths to treat diseases. By using its proprietary chemoproteomic platform, IMTAC™, BridGene can screen small molecules against all proteins in live cells to discover drug candidates for high-value and previously undruggable targets. BridGene is advancing a diversified pipeline of first-in-class drugs for targets in multiple disease areas. For more information, visit https://bridgenebio.com/.

Contact
Tiberend Strategic Advisors, Inc.
Jonathan Nugent (investors)
205-566-3026
[email protected]

Eric Reiss (media)
[email protected]

SOURCE BridGene Biosciences