12/08/26

C4X Discovery and Vernalis announce a drug discovery collaboration in inflammatory disease

Vernalis announces a drug discovery collaboration with C4X Discovery in inflammatory disease

Vernalis (R&D) Limited (“Vernalis”), a wholly owned subsidiary of HitGen Inc., and C4X Discovery (“C4XD”) are pleased to announce a collaboration to identify modulators of an undisclosed high-value target involved in inflammatory disease.

Within the collaboration, Vernalis will use its state-of-the-art protein science and Hit ID platforms to produce the target protein and to identify and characterise small molecule ligands for the target. The research at Vernalis will be funded by C4XD, with C4XD retaining ownership of any intellectual property resulting from the collaboration and having an option to extend the collaboration. If successful, C4XD will take the target through discovery into its dynamic early pipeline of small molecules for immuno-inflammatory diseases.

James Murray, Research Director of Vernalis, said “This partnership is built on Vernalis’s strong record for innovation in drug discovery. We look forward to working closely with C4XD, combining our respective expertise to successfully achieve the goals of this collaboration.”

Nick Ray, Chief Scientific Officer of C4XD, said: “Vernalis’s renowned background in fragment-based drug discovery and protein NMR will complement C4XD’s Conformetrix NMR-based small molecule design platform. We’re excited to initiate this collaboration against a hard-to-drug high value target in the inflammation-immunology space.”

About C4XD

For more information visit us at www.c4xdiscovery.com or follow us on twitter @C4XDiscovery.

C4XD is a pioneering Drug Discovery company, combining scientific expertise with cutting-edge technologies to efficiently deliver world‑leading medicines. We have a highly valuable and differentiated approach to Drug Discovery through our enhanced molecular design and patient stratification capabilities, generating small molecule drug candidates across multiple disease indications focused on immuno-inflammation.

About Vernalis

Vernalis is a world leader in fragment and structure-based drug discovery with a record of progressing targets from concept to clinic. Based in Cambridge, UK, we have generated development candidates across oncology, neurodegeneration, anti-infectives and inflammation, through global collaborations. Vernalis is a wholly owned subsidiary of HitGen Inc. (688222.SH).