Cypralis, an Ongar, Essex, UK-based life sciences company focused on the discovery of therapeutics for the modulation of peptidyl-prolyl isomerases (PPIases), a large family of druggable protein targets involved in many acute and chronic diseases, has entered into a collaboration with Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. The collaboration, facilitated by Johnson & Johnson Innovation, aims to develop new cyclophilin inhibitors for neurodegenerative diseases. The terms were not disclosed.

Cyclophilin inhibitors are non-selective between the four commonly screened cyclophilin isoforms A, B, C and D. This collaboration programs to generate CNS penetrants, selective inhibitors of cyclophilin D applicable to targeting central nervous system degeneration. The medicinal chemistry and PPIase screening will be sub-contracted to Selcia Limited.

Source: Cypralis