Inventiva is a biopharmaceutical company specialising in the development of drugs interacting with nuclear receptors, transcription factors and epigenetic modulators. Inventiva’s research engine opens up novel breakthrough therapies against fibrotic diseases, cancers and orphan diseases with substantial unmet medical needs.
In addition, to its ongoing work in preclinical discovery and development Inventiva announced ABBV-553, AbbVie’s current ROR-γ inverse agonist lead compound, will cease development following a Phase 1 study.
Pierre Broqua, Inventiva Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, said: “Inventiva continues to leverage its knowledge and expertise in RORγ development and around nuclear receptors and transcription factors.
“RORγ is one of the most promising small molecule approaches in controlling the production of T helper 17 cells, with the potential to treat several autoimmune diseases. We are excited to continue our work with AbbVie, one of the leaders in development and commercialisation of autoimmune drugs.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Inventiva will receive an undisclosed research payment. Additionally, Inventiva will receive milestone payments when a new candidate is identified.
Inventiva will also be eligible for development and sales milestones as well as royalties on sales.
IVA337, its lead product, is an anti-fibrotic treatment with a strong action mechanism permitting the activation of all three alpha, gamma and delta PPARs (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors), which play key roles in controlling the fibrotic process.
Its anti-fibrotic action targets two initial indications — NASH, a severe and increasingly prevalent liver disease already affecting over 30 million people in the US and systemic sclerosis, a disease with a very high mortality rate and for which there is no approved treatment to date.
Inventiva is also developing a second clinical product, odiparcil, which is a treatment for three different forms of mucopolysaccharidosis, MPS I or Hurler/Scheie syndromes, MPS II or Hunter syndrome and MPS VI also known as Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome.