Monday, 13 January 2020
Exonate Ltd has secured a major collaboration deal with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson for its ophthalmology program.
Exonate has been developing a revolutionary new treatment for leading causes of blindness (diabetic retinopathy and age related macular degeneration).
Exonate Ltd was spun out of the University of Nottingham in 2013 by University of Nottingham academics, Prof David Bates and Prof Lucy Donaldson and Professor Steven Harper from the University of Bristol based on their intellectual property along with that of University of New South Wales’ Professor Jonathan Morris.
Through the collaboration, Exonate will work with Janssen Research & Development, and LLC scientists to develop an eye drop treatment for retinal vascular diseases such as wet AMD and DMO by using mRNA targeted therapies.
Scientists at Exonate have developed small molecules that inhibit the production of pro-angiogenic vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) through the selective inhibition of serine/threonine-protein kinase (SRPK1)-mediated VEGF splicing. The agreement was facilitated by Johnson & Johnson Innovation.
The collaboration will fund the clinical trial and other activities in the company that will enable development of the first eye drop for treatment of diabetic macular oedema initially. The approach could transform the treatment of neovascular eye diseases, a market currently worth more than $6Bn a year, and extend it to preventative care too.
Exonate’s CEO, Dr Catherine Beech said “I am absolutely delighted to enter this strategic collaboration with Janssen, we are looking forward to successfully developing a novel treatment for retinal neovascular diseases”
This collaboration agreement allows Exonate to reach its primary goal of testing its designer compounds in patients for the first time. Over the last six years the team have worked immensely hard to develop key molecules that have the right safety, efficacy and delivery properties to be highly promising for patients. We will now be able to take that right through to clinical trial and beyond, in collaboration with one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies.”
Story credits
More information is available from Professor David Bates at david.bates@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
More news…