Genentech and Repertoire Immune Medicines Forge $765M Alliance for Autoimmune Drug Discovery

Roche's Genentech has entered into a significant partnership with Repertoire Immune Medicines, a Flagship Pioneering-backed biotech company, to discover and develop T cell-targeting therapies for an undisclosed autoimmune disorder. The collaboration, announced on Wednesday, underscores the growing interest in innovative approaches to treating autoimmune diseases and highlights the potential of Repertoire's DECODE platform in uncovering novel therapeutic targets.

Deal Terms and Financial Details

Under the terms of the agreement, Genentech will pay Repertoire $35 million upfront, with the potential for an additional $730 million in milestone payments. The total deal value could reach $765 million, plus tiered royalties on any commercialized products. Repertoire will lead early discovery efforts, leveraging its DECODE platform to identify new targets, while Genentech will handle subsequent preclinical and clinical development, as well as potential commercialization activities.

Repertoire's DECODE Platform and Strategic Pivot

Repertoire's DECODE platform is designed to map the immune synapse, the interface between T cells and antigen-presenting cells. This unique capability allows the company to uncover potential targets for both cancer and autoimmune conditions. The deal with Genentech comes on the heels of Repertoire's strategic reset in 2022, which saw the company pivot away from personalized cell therapies following disappointing early clinical results.

Torben Straight Nissen, CEO and chairman of Repertoire, as well as an executive partner at Flagship Pioneering, emphasized the platform's potential: "The enormous breadth of DECODE's therapeutic target discovery potential is well beyond what we could realize on our own."

Genentech's Growing Immunology Pipeline

This partnership represents Genentech's latest move to strengthen its immunology pipeline. The Roche subsidiary has been actively pursuing deals in this space, including recent collaborations with Sangamo Therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases and Orionis for molecular glue degraders in cancer and neurodegeneration.

Boris Zaïtra, Roche's head of corporate business development, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating, "We look forward to translating the new discoveries Decode and the team at Repertoire will reveal to develop novel medicines for patients suffering from autoimmune diseases."