Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd. and Enterome Bioscience SA announced they have entered into a strategic drug discovery collaboration to research and develop potential new therapeutics directed at microbiome targets thought to play crucial roles in gastrointestinal disorders, including inflammatory bowel diseases (e.g. ulcerative colitis) and motility disorders (e.g. irritable bowel syndrome). Enterome will use its proprietary metagenomic platform to support the discovery of potential novel agents (small molecules or biologics) derived from gut bacteria and directed to the GI targets selected by Enterome and Takeda. Takeda has an option to license selected agents on an exclusive global basis and will be responsible for their regulatory and clinical development as well as their commercialization.

Enterome will receive an upfront payment and three-year R&D funding, and is eligible to receive additional payments for each molecule discovered through the collaboration in the form of option exercise, development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments. In addition, Enterome is eligible to receive potential tiered royalties on the net sales of any products that are commercialized by Takeda.