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news.Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) and the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) have entered into a translational research collaboration to focus on fibrotic diseases, including scleroderma, renal fibrosis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
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As part of the deal, both the parties will carry out studies designed to improve the mechanistic understanding of fibrosis, explore patient segmentation based on disease characteristics and/or biomarker approaches and predictors of disease progression.
Both the parties are committed to address the unmet need in fibrotic diseases by discovering new medicines to stop or slow disease progression.
Fibrotic diseases are characterized by the formation of excess fibrous connective tissue in an organ or tissue.
Bristol-Myers Squibb R&D head of Discovery Carl Decicco said: "Bristol-Myers Squibb’s collaboration with MUSC further strengthens and advances our Discovery research efforts in fibrotic diseases, a strategic area of focus for the company.
"MUSC brings substantial expertise in translational research and drug discovery related to fibrotic diseases including access to patient derived disease tissue samples that will help us accelerate the application of scientific knowledge to potential new treatment approaches for patients."
BMS’ fibrosis assets portfolio includes BMS-986020, a lysophosphatidic acid 1 (LPA1) receptor antagonist currently in Phase II development to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and a CCR2/5 dual antagonist in Phase II development for diabetic kidney disease.
In November 2014, BMS entered into an agreement that has an exclusive option to acquire Galecto Biotech and gain worldwide rights to its lead asset TD139, a new inhaled inhibitor of galectin-3 in Phase I development to treat IPF and other pulmonary fibrotic conditions.
Earlier this year, BMS and the California Institute for Biomedical Research (Calibr) entered into a research collaboration to develop new small molecule anti-fibrotic therapies, and an exclusive license agreement that allows BMS to develop, manufacture and commercialize Calibr’s preclinical compounds resulting from the collaboration.
Image: BMS and MUSC will discover new medicines to stop or slow progression of fibrotic diseases. Photo: courtesy of Michelle Meiklejohn/ freedigitalphotos.net.