Melodia Therapeutics and Alivexis Sign Exclusive License for Cathepsin C Inhibitor Program MOD-A

On June 21, 2024, Alivexis, Inc. and Melodia Therapeutics AG (headquartered in Basel, Switzerland), founded by Forty51 Ventures, announced an exclusive license agreement. This agreement paves the way for the global development, manufacturing, and marketing of Alivexis’ MDI-0151, a promising Cathepsin C inhibitor emerging from Alivexis' MOD-A discovery initiative.

Under the agreement, Melodia will promptly commence IND-enabling activities to prepare MDI-0151 for a Phase 1/Phase 2a clinical trial targeting various stubborn inflammatory conditions driven by excessive neutrophil activation. These conditions include ANCA-associated Vasculitis and other similar diseases that present a high unmet medical need. Both companies aim to leverage their specialized knowledge in drug discovery and development to achieve clinical Proof of Concept for these conditions.

Alivexis has granted Melodia worldwide rights to develop, manufacture, and market MDI-0151. In return, Alivexis will receive an upfront payment and milestone payments related to development and sales, potentially totaling $275 million (JPY 42.7 billion). Additionally, Alivexis is slated to receive royalties on net sales of any marketed product and may acquire warrants to subscribe for Melodia’s common shares.

Dr. S. Roy Kimura, CEO of Alivexis, expressed his enthusiasm about the agreement: “The signing of our licensing and clinical partnership with Melodia for our MOD-A Cathepsin C inhibitor program is a significant milestone. It validates our drug discovery R&D team, our pipeline of discovery programs, and our business model. We are confident that the Melodia team will advance our candidate molecule through clinical trials and ultimately help many patients suffering from chronic inflammatory diseases."

Forty51 Ventures, the founding shareholder of Melodia, also commented: “We are thrilled to in-license and continue the development of MDI-0151. We believe this asset has best-in-class, blockbuster potential in various underserved immunological conditions. Melodia aims to develop this program in a variety of indications, and further announcements will follow as we advance this program swiftly."

MDI-0151, a standout candidate from Alivexis’ MOD-A discovery program, focuses on inhibiting Cathepsin C, an enzyme known to activate a group of proteases that contribute to tissue destruction by neutrophils. Given the belief that inhibiting Cathepsin C does not significantly affect the immune function of neutrophils, MDI-0151 holds promise for effectively treating various immune and inflammatory diseases without compromising the immune system.

Alivexis, Inc., headquartered in Tokyo, is a network-based drug discovery company employing cutting-edge technologies. It was established on August 8, 2016, and is led by Dr. S. Roy Kimura, CEO, and Dr. Kazuki Ohno, COO.

Melodia Therapeutics AG, located in Basel, Switzerland, was founded by Forty51 Advisors AG in December 2023. The company focuses on developing therapies for diseases driven by neutrophils.

This collaboration is expected to advance the development of MDI-0151 rapidly, offering new hope for patients with chronic inflammatory diseases. Both companies are optimistic about the potential impact of their combined expertise on this promising candidate.

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