Relation and GSK Collaborate to Enhance Treatments for Fibrotic Diseases and Osteoarthritis
The prominent pharmaceutical corporation GSK and UK-based AI-biotech firm Relation Therapeutics have formed two key partnerships aimed at exploring and confirming novel therapeutic targets for osteoarthritis and fibrotic diseases.
According to the agreements, GSK will provide an upfront investment totaling million to Relation, which includes an equity stake of million. Additionally, Relation may earn success-dependent payments that could reach up to million per target, alongside potential milestone payments approximating 0 million and royalties from the sales of future products. GSK will hold all global development and commercialization rights for any targets developed through these partnerships.
Fibrotic diseases, characterized by the thickening or scarring of essential organs, include conditions such as cirrhosis, scleroderma, kidney disease, and lung or heart fibrosis. Studies indicate that fibrotic diseases account for nearly 18% of global deaths (excluding cancer).
Osteoarthritis, a chronic degenerative joint disorder, also poses significant challenges, impacting over 500 million individuals worldwide, with 60% of those affected being women. Both osteoarthritis and fibrotic diseases represent significant areas with unmet medical needs, affecting millions globally.
David Roblin, CEO of Relation Therapeutics, remarked in a press release, “These diseases have limited treatment options targeting their root causes. Our strategy of generating data from patient tissues allows us to construct an extensive understanding of the underlying biology of human disease at scale. Coupled with our machine learning efforts, this facilitates groundbreaking insights into effective disease intervention methods.”
In its collaboration with GSK, Relation will conduct observational studies to produce two functional disease data sets—focused on various undisclosed fibrotic conditions and osteoarthritis. Utilizing Relation’s unique Lab-in-the-Loop technology, these data sets will harness patient tissue genetic information and machine learning to help identify new disease targets. This thorough exploration enhances the validation of targets prior to clinical trials, mitigating the risk of clinical failures.
Roblin added, “By integrating Relation’s patient-focused discovery infrastructure with GSK’s extensive resources and expertise, we can potentially expedite the development of innovative treatments for patients in need of new therapeutic options.”
Kaivan Khavandi, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Respiratory and Immunology R&D at GSK, stated: “Collaborating with Relation allows us to gain comprehensive insights into human causal biology, which we can apply to therapeutic discovery through a data-driven strategy augmented by Relation’s proprietary platform.”
“The targets resulting from this collaboration will be backed by solid translational frameworks, providing clarity for early clinical evaluation, thus advancing our broader goal of developing new therapies for fibrotic diseases and osteoarthritis—both areas with significant unmet medical waiting,” Khavandi concluded.