Isogenica has inked a licensing deal with Aro Biotherapeutics to use its in vitro polypeptide display systems for the development of Aro’s scaffold molecule technology.
The Philadelphia-based Aro is developing Centyrins, a class of scaffold molecules that can bind to target proteins. The company hopes the platform will address unmet needs through the targeted delivery of a variety of drug payloads to specific cells or tissues.
Aro was co-founded earlier this year by two former Johnson & Johnson leaders, Susan Dillon and Karyn O’Neil.
Under terms of the agreement, Isogenica will get an upfront fee from Aro and annual license payments. Isogenica will be eligible for milestone money if products advance into development.
Isogenica will provide Centyrin discovery services for specific targets nominated by Aro.
“Isogenica continues to attract leading-edge partners, giving them access to our novel CIS Display technology and supporting them in advancing their own discovery programs,” Adam Collier, Isogenica’s director of commercial development, said in a statement. “Aro is an exciting new company with a unique technology and we look forward to our partnership with them.”