AbbVie Buys Nimble to Boost Oral Peptide Therapy Development

In the field of immunotherapy, the market for oral peptide therapies is gaining momentum. Recently, AbbVie announced its final acquisition agreement with Nimble Therapeutics, a move allowing AbbVie to acquire Nimble's crucial assets. Among these acquisitions is an oral peptide IL-23 inhibitor project aimed at treating psoriasis, currently in the preclinical research stage. Additionally, AbbVie will obtain Nimble’s innovative pipeline of oral peptide candidates targeting various autoimmune diseases. The acquisition also grants AbbVie access to Nimble’s peptide synthesis, screening, and optimization platform, which uses proprietary technology to expedite the discovery and refinement of peptide candidates targeting multiple pathways.

AbbVie has been a longstanding player in the field of immunotherapy. As its flagship product, Humira, faces patent expiration, the company seeks new avenues for growth. The acquisition of Nimble Therapeutics not only enhances AbbVie’s product pipeline but also bolsters its research and development capabilities in oral peptide therapies. This strategic move positions AbbVie to maintain its competitive edge in this emerging market.

Oral medications for psoriasis have been making significant progress, with Johnson & Johnson’s JNJ-2113 showing best-in-class potential ahead of its competitors. Recently, Johnson & Johnson reported positive top-line results from the ICONIC-LEAD clinical trial, marking the imminent market entry of the world’s first targeted oral peptide, Icotrokinra, which selectively blocks IL-23 receptors. In response, AbbVie is working diligently to secure its leading position in this competitive landscape.

Globally, psoriasis affects over 125 million patients, creating a substantial treatment market due to the chronic nature of the disease requiring long-term management. The global psoriasis market is valued at $26.5 billion and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.6% from 2022 to 2030. For the treatment of plaque psoriasis, 22 targeted therapies have been approved worldwide, with AbbVie and Johnson & Johnson being major market leaders.

Oral medications are increasingly popular for long-term treatments due to their convenience. Current options include PDE4 inhibitor apremilast, TYK2 allosteric inhibitor deucravacitinib, and JAK inhibitor upadacitinib. Many multinational companies are actively entering the psoriasis oral medication market.

Johnson & Johnson’s JNJ-2113, the world’s first oral IL-23 receptor antagonist, leverages Protagonist Therapeutics’ unique peptide technology platform to address challenges like low bioavailability and stability of oral peptides, and gastrointestinal degradation. In its Phase III ICONIC-LEAD study, JNJ-2113 demonstrated superior data compared to other oral competitors. With promising efficacy data, Johnson & Johnson has high expectations for JNJ-2113, predicting its market potential to reach $5 billion.

Observing Johnson & Johnson’s advancements in psoriasis oral medications, AbbVie is expanding its product line to maintain leadership in autoimmune disease treatments. Nimble Therapeutics, focused on developing oral peptide therapies, has caught AbbVie's attention. Nimble’s IL-23R inhibitor is noteworthy; this preclinical oral therapy aims to offer new treatment options for psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Importantly, its target profile aligns with AbbVie’s existing blockbuster injectable Risankizumab, indicating potential synergies with AbbVie’s current product line.

Nimble’s designed drugs claim to inherit the robust activity of injectable IL-23 medications with an extended half-life. Additionally, Nimble has identified two more candidates targeting systemic severe myasthenia gravis and IBD, both in preclinical testing. This acquisition allows AbbVie to incorporate Nimble’s product line and gain advanced technology for synthesizing, screening, and optimizing peptide candidates, providing substantial technical support for AbbVie’s endeavors in oral peptide therapies.

AbbVie's acquisition of Nimble marks its third major purchase in the immunotherapy developer space this year. This series of acquisitions underscores AbbVie's proactive strategy in immunotherapy and highlights the urgency to retain market leadership amid rising competition from companies like Johnson & Johnson. The peptide industry is experiencing significant growth, with peptide drugs offering higher bioactivity and specificity than small molecular chemical drugs and lower immunogenicity and production costs than biological drugs.

The development of oral peptide drugs has been challenging due to absorption issues, but advancements in innovative technologies are gradually overcoming these barriers. The demand for effective oral peptide therapies, driven by convenience and adherence benefits, continues to rise, prompting companies like AbbVie to invest in this burgeoning field. As AbbVie solidifies its research and development position through strategic acquisitions, whether it can reclaim its status as the "King of Immunology" and lead innovation in autoimmune disease treatment remains to be seen.