Confo Therapeutics, which specializes in targeting G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), has announced a worldwide licensing agreement with Eli Lilly and Company for Confo’s non-opiod, pain candidate, CFTX-1554 and back-up compounds.
“We are pleased that Lilly, an expert in chronic pain with a wealth of experience in bringing novel therapies to patients, has recognized Confo’s ability to develop best-in-class GPCR drug candidates,” said Cedric Ververken, CEO of Confo Therapeutics.
Confo will receive a USD $40M upfront payment from Lilly as well as up to an additional $590M in potential milestone payments per program and tiered royalties. Confo maintains a co-investment option to participate in the funding of future development programs after clinical proof-of-concept for additional royalties.
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest and most diverse group of membrane receptors in the body. And approximately 30% of all drugs currently on the market target GPCRs. However, more than 50% of all GPCR targets in the body have not yet been successfully drugged, leaving huge untapped potential for future exploration.
“CFTX-1554’s progression through the clinic will benefit from Lilly’s experience and global organization, while we will continue to develop and expand our growing, innovative pipeline of GPCR-targeted assets, both small molecules and biologics,” said Ververken.
CFTX-1554 is a novel inhibitor of the angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT2R). The compound is currently in Phase I clinical development and is a non-opioid approach to treating neuropathic pain. This condition is caused by damage to the nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord, and potentially additional peripheral pain indications.
Standard treatment methods are often insufficiently effective and can lead to serious side effects including addiction. There is thus tremendous unmet need for effective analgesics that are well-tolerated and do not impact quality of life.
Under the terms of the agreement, Lilly will continue the clinical development program beyond Phase I. In addition, the agreement considers a program to further develop Confo’s existing therapeutic antibody candidates targeting the same receptor.
CFTX-1554 is Confo’ first product candidate in clinical development and is a non-opioid approach designed to address peripheral (neuropathic) pain while avoiding centrally mediated side effects, such as addiction and sedation. The compound is a novel inhibitor of angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT2R), a clinically precedented target for the treatment of neuropathic pain.
Previous compounds targeting AT2R have failed to reach market approval. Confo claims CFTX-1554 is distinct in that it interacts more efficiently with the AT2R binding site, resulting in improved drug-like properties. CFTX-1554 is currently being examined in a Phase I first-in-human clinical study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05260658).
Confo Therapeutics’ technology stabilizes functional conformations of GPCRs (G-protein coupled receptors), thereby enabling the discovery of chemical or biological ligands that are conformationally selective.
