Seeking candidates for Takeda

WILMINGTON, Mass. & TOKYO—Charles River Laboratories announced recently a multiyear drug discovery collaboration with Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. Together, the two companies will launch multiple integrated programs across Takeda’s four core therapeutic areas—oncology, gastroenterology, neuroscience and rare disease—with the ultimate goal of delivering preclinical candidates that Takeda can advance into clinical development.

According to Charles River, by leveraging an integrated drug discovery approach, it will be able to provide Takeda with an effective, cohesive, external one-team solution for driving programs forward. Charles River’s drug discovery and development teams have experience across a wide range of therapeutic areas, allowing them to advance these programs toward the clinic.

“Takeda has a long history of working with Charles River across our drug discovery and development portfolio and are confident in their breadth of experience and commitment to excellent science,” said Dr. Steve Hitchcock, global head of research at Takeda. “Leveraging Charles River’s integrated discovery capabilities is a natural extension of our relationship.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Takeda will pay Charles River a one-time upfront fee to establish the collaboration. Charles River will be eligible to receive development payments with a potential value of over $50 million per program in preclinical and clinical milestones for candidates that progress to registration. The agreement also includes additional potential commercial milestones of up to $120 million, plus royalties on launched products.

Noted James C. Foster, president and CEO of Charles River: “We are pleased to expand our relationship with Takeda, who shares our commitment to bring innovative, safe and effective medicines to patients as quickly and efficiently as possible. We expect the expertise of Charles River and Takeda will prove to be a powerful combination in delivering novel drug candidates.”