Lodo Therapeutics has achieved a preclinical milestone in its multi-target strategic collaboration with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group. Lodo Therapeutics is using its proprietary genome mining and biosynthetic cluster assembly platform to identify novel molecules with therapeutic potential against multiple disease-related targets of interest to Genentech.
Under the terms of the agreement, Lodo is eligible to receive research, development and commercialization payments based on achievement of certain predetermined milestones. In addition, Lodo received an undisclosed upfront payment and is eligible to receive royalties on sales of certain products resulting from the collaboration.
"Achieving this milestone supports the utility of our platform," said Dale Pfost, PhD, Chairman and CEO of Lodo Therapeutics. "Lodo integrates multiple sequencing and informatics technologies and synthetic biology to identify and advance promising molecules encoded in microbial DNA. These molecules exhibit significant structural diversity and their drug-like bioactivity has been optimized by billions of years of evolution. Our platform allows us to identify, characterize and prioritize these molecules in silico, providing practical access to numerous undiscovered potential drugs. We appreciate the trust and support of our colleagues at Genentech and look forward to continuing progress in this productive relationship."