Boehringer Ingelheim and Sosei Heptares have entered into a global collaboration to develop a new class of treatments for schizophrenia. They will focus on G protein-coupled receptor 52 (GPR52) agonists, aiming to address positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms of the condition. Schizophrenia affects about one in 100 people globally, with diverse symptoms that significantly impact daily life. While current antipsychotics can stabilize positive symptoms, they often have side effects, and there are no approved medicines for negative or cognitive symptoms.
The GPR52 receptor is present in brain regions associated with both positive symptoms (the striatum) and negative and cognitive symptoms (the prefrontal cortex). Agonists targeting GPR52 could provide more precise treatment by calming the striatum and enhancing frontal cortical function. Sosei Heptares is eligible to receive an upfront payment of €25m from Boehringer Ingelheim, with additional option exercise fees and milestone payments potentially totaling €730m, plus royalties on future product sales.
Sosei will conduct and sponsor trials until the option is exercised in 2025, including the ongoing Phase I and subsequent Phase Ib trial and further Phase II enabling activities with HTL0048149, a GPR52 agonist1. [The licensed portfolio will include HTL0048149 and backup compounds developed using Sosei’s StaR technology and structure-based drug design platform]