AbbVie, Sosei Heptares in $80 million G-protein-coupled receptor pact

Pharmaceutical companies Sosei Heptares and AbbVie have agreed to collaborate on small molecules that modulate G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) targets involved in neurological diseases. Sosei Heptares will be responsible for research and development until investigational new drug-enabling studies are complete, after which AbbVie can license up to three programs. Sosei Heptares will receive $40 million up front, up to $40 million in near-term research milestones, and as much as $1.2 billion in further milestones. The companies have been in a collaboration focused on inflammatory and autoimmune diseases since June 2020.