NEW YORK & SHANGHAI & SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Schrödinger whose physics-based software platform is transforming the way therapeutics and materials are discovered, and Zai Lab Limited, an innovative commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced a global discovery, development and commercialization collaboration focused on a novel program in oncology targeting DNA damage response.
“With an established track record of developing and commercializing therapeutics in oncology, Zai Lab is an ideal partner for Schrödinger on this project,” said Karen Akinsanya, Ph.D., executive vice president, chief biomedical scientist and head of discovery R&D at Schrödinger. “Together, we will aim to accelerate and expand our focus on targeted DNA damage response inhibition, which is emerging as an important therapeutic strategy for a broad range of cancers. Additionally, the structure of this collaboration provides us with the opportunity to gain development and commercial expertise and the potential to participate more significantly in the downstream value of the program.”
“We are pleased to be collaborating with Schrödinger, a recognized leader in physics-based computational drug discovery,” said Alan Sandler, M.D., president and head of global development, oncology, at Zai Lab. “This program will complement our existing discovery efforts in the DNA damage response pathway in addition to potential combinatorial approaches within our pipeline, such as with the PARP inhibitor Zejula.”
The research program will be conducted jointly by the Schrödinger and Zai Lab scientific teams. The companies will be responsible for their own research program expenses, and under the terms of the collaboration agreement, Zai Lab will make an upfront payment to Schrödinger to help fund Schrödinger’s share of research costs. Following the selection of a development candidate, Zai Lab will assume primary responsibility for global development, manufacturing and commercialization. The agreement provides Schrödinger co-development and co-commercialization rights in the U.S. If Schrödinger elects to co-fund clinical development of a product candidate under the collaboration, it will be entitled to 50 percent of the profits, if any, from the commercialization of such product candidate in the United States. Schrödinger will also be eligible to receive up to approximately $338 million in preclinical, clinical, regulatory and sales-based milestone payments. Additionally, Schrödinger is entitled to receive royalties on net sales outside the U.S.
About Schrödinger
Schrödinger is transforming the way therapeutics and materials are discovered. Schrödinger has pioneered a physics-based software platform that enables discovery of high-quality, novel molecules for drug development and materials applications more rapidly and at lower cost compared to traditional methods. The software platform is used by biopharmaceutical and industrial companies, academic institutions, and government laboratories around the world. Schrödinger’s multidisciplinary drug discovery team also leverages the software platform to advance collaborative programs and its own pipeline of novel therapeutics to address unmet medical needs.
Founded in 1990, Schrödinger has over 450 employees and is engaged with customers and collaborators in more than 70 countries. To learn more, visit www.schrodinger.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
About Zai Lab
Zai Lab is an innovative commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on bringing transformative medicines for cancer and infectious and autoimmune diseases to patients in China and around the world. We aim to address significant unmet medical needs in large, fast-growing segments of the pharmaceutical market. Our experienced team has secured partnerships with leading global biopharmaceutical companies to generate a broad pipeline of potentially innovative, marketed products and product candidates. We have also built an in-house team with strong drug discovery and translational research capabilities and are establishing a pipeline of proprietary drug candidates with global rights. Our vision is to become a leading global biopharmaceutical company, discovering, developing, manufacturing and commercializing our portfolio in order to positively impact human health worldwide.
For additional information about the company, please visit www.zailaboratory.com or follow us at www.twitter.com/ZaiLab_Global.