Eli Lilly signs US$370M OmniAb deal for ion channel drug discovery
OmniAb was spun out of Ligand Pharmaceuticals in 2022 and has since built a broad network of pharmaceutical partnerships.
USA—Eli Lilly has entered into a collaboration with antibody discovery company OmniAb that could generate up to US$370 million in research, development and commercial milestone payments for OmniAb.
The agreement focuses on a new ion channel drug discovery programme, although the companies have not disclosed the specific target or therapeutic approach.
Under the agreement, Lilly will pay OmniAb an undisclosed upfront fee and could make additional milestone payments of up to US$370 million.
The Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical company will use OmniAb’s antibody discovery capabilities to support the new ion channel programme.
“We are pleased to enter into this important new relationship with Lilly,” said Matt Foehr, CEO of OmniAb, in an Aug. 17 statement.
He added that Lilly’s focus on medicines for major unmet medical needs, combined with OmniAb’s expertise in ion channels, could support the new discovery programme.
OmniAb was spun out of Ligand Pharmaceuticals in 2022 and has since built a broad network of pharmaceutical partnerships.
One of its most prominent collaborations is with Johnson & Johnson, which resulted in the bispecific antibody Tecvayli (teclistamab), approved for multiple myeloma.
The companies are also developing the trispecific antibody ramantamig, which is in Phase 3 development for the blood cancer.
Other clinical-stage programmes involving OmniAb include Boehringer Ingelheim’s liver disease candidate BI 3802876, Merck KGaA’s anti-CEACAM5 antibody-drug conjugate precemtabart tocentecan for colorectal cancer and Teva Pharmaceuticals’ anti-interleukin-15 monoclonal antibody TEV-408 for vitiligo.
Targeting challenging ion channels
OmniAb uses genetically modified animals, including rats, chickens and mice, to generate antibodies containing human sequences that can be developed into medicines.
The company has also developed technologies aimed at supporting antibody discovery against ion channels and transporters.
Ion channels regulate numerous biological processes, making them attractive drug targets.
However, their complex structures and biology can make them difficult to target with conventional drug-discovery approaches.
OmniAb said its proprietary assays and reagent-generation technologies can support antibody discovery programmes directed at these targets.
The company previously attributed an increase in second-quarter service revenue to the start of new ion channel programmes, although it did not identify the partners involved.
Meanwhile, other pharmaceutical companies have demonstrated the potential of ion channel-based medicines.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals, for example, has advanced ion channel therapies, including Journavx (suzetrigine), an NaV1.8 channel blocker approved for treating acute pain, and Alyftrek, a CFTR modulator used to treat cystic fibrosis.
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