Denali Therapeutics and Takeda to Jointly Develop and Commercialize Investigational Treatment for FTD-GRN

Denali Therapeutics announced on Nov. 17, 2021, that its strategic partner Takeda Pharmaceutical Company has exercised an option, pursuant to an existing collaboration agreement between the two companies, to co-develop and co-commercialize DNL593 (PTV:PGRN), an investigational, brain-penetrant progranulin replacement therapy for the potential treatment of frontotemporal dementia-granulin (FTD-GRN).

Denali and Takeda entered into a collaboration agreement in January 2018. Takeda was granted an option for three programs, including PTV:PGRN. Exercising its option, Takeda now obtains the right to develop and commercialize DNL593 jointly with Denali. The companies will share the development and commercialization costs equally, and, if applicable, profits on a worldwide basis.

“We are excited to advance our collaboration with Takeda on the development of DNL593 as a potential treatment for people with FTD-GRN,” said Ryan Watts, PhD, CEO of Denali. “Pending acceptance of regulatory submissions, DNL593 will be the sixth therapeutic candidate from our broad pipeline, and our second Transport Vehicle (TV)-enabled molecule, in clinical development. This progress underscores the potential of our TV platform technology, which is designed to enable and enhance [the] delivery of biologic therapeutics to the brain for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.”