Chiesi Group and Karolinksa Institutet Partner on Solutions to Urgent Health Challenges

Chiesi Group, a research-oriented biopharmaceutical group focused on respiratory health, rare diseases, and specialty care, announced on May 14, 2024 that it has signed an agreement with Karolinksa Institutet (KI), a medical university in Solna, Sweden. The collaboration aims to advance therapeutic solutions for urgent health challenges, through a shared commitment to advancing medical science and improving patient care.

The partnership between the two organizations will focus on accelerating research and development initiatives for rare diseases, respiratory diseases, diseases of prematurity, and other specialty care indications. Under the agreement, Chiesi and KI will share ideas, expertise, and resources. One of the first planned areas of focus is the field of preterm birth-associated early onset respiratory disease.

“We believe that this partnership with such a world-renowned academic center of excellence will provide significant opportunities to not only accelerate our pipeline but to explore and establish novel innovative ways of working between academia and industry,” said Fabrizio Conicella, head of Center for Open Innovation and Competence, Chiesi, in a Chiesi press release (1).

Mark Parry-Billings, head of drug development and site head of R&D operations in the Karolinska Science Park, Chiesi, added, “We are delighted to advance our work with KI through this collaborative agreement, which will leverage past successes and form a platform for a close and dynamic research and development partnership, in a series of focused scientific disciplines, including for example in the field of translational medicine.”

“We are thrilled to embark on this strategic collaboration with Chiesi Group, a partnership that embodies our shared commitment to advancing scientific research and improving patient care,” said Åsa Wheelock, board member of the Chiesi-KI alliance and head of the respiratory medicine unit, Department of Medicine Solna at KI, in the press release. “KI and Chiesi have a long and successful track record of collaborations in the field of respiratory disease and neonatology. This alliance provides an enhanced platform to expand our collaborations beyond our ongoing joint efforts on sub-grouping of patients in the asthma-COPD spectrum. As such, this collaboration underscores Karolinska Institutet's dedication to translating cutting-edge research into tangible solutions that address the needs of patients worldwide.”

This has been a collaborative month for Chiesi. On May 6, 2024, the company announced a collaboration with Gossamer Bio, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, to develop and commercialize Gossamer’s Phase III biosimilar for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension, seralutinib (2). The collaboration aims to support ongoing work in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and accelerate development in pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease (PH-ILD), with the goal of reaching more patients with pulmonary hypertension worldwide. The companies plan to reach this goal by combining Chiesi’s experience with global respiratory, rare disease, and inhaled drug development and commercialization with Gossamer's PAH and PH-ILD development and commercialization teams.

Under the agreement, Gossamer will lead global development of seralutinib in PAH and PH-ILD, with the companies splitting development costs, with the exception of the ongoing Phase III PROSPERA study, which Gossamer will remain financially responsible. The companies will evenly share commercial profits and losses in the United States, with Gossamer leading US commercialization. Chiesi will have exclusive rights to commercialize seralutinib outside of the US and will pay Gossamer escalating mid-to-high teens royalty on net sales outside of the US.

References

1. Chiesi Group, Chiesi Group Forges Alliance with Karolinska Institutet to Tackle Urgent Health Challenges. Press Release, May 14, 2024.
2. Chiesi Group, Chiesi and Gossamer Bio Announce Transformative Global Collaboration to Develop and Commercialize Seralutinib in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension and Other Respiratory Indications. Press Release, May 6, 2024.