| Founded | Berlin, Germany (1994) |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Berlin, Germany |
| Key people | Jens Schneider-Mergener, CEO Adi Hoess, Chief Commercial Officer Jochen Knolle, Chief Scientific Officer, Head of R & D Berndt Modig, Chief Financial Officer |
| Products | icatibant |
| Employees | 139 (2006) |
| Website | jerini.com |
Jerini AG is a pharmaceutical company based in Berlin, Germany, which focuses on the discovery and development of novel peptide-based drugs. Using a proprietary technology platform, Peptides-to-Drugs (P2D), Jerini pursues disease indications for which limited, inadequate, or no treatment options exist. As a result, Jerini has established a drug pipeline composed of its own programs as well as others in collaboration with partners. Jerini's commercialization strategy is to market new drugs in niche indications independently and in larger indications with partners.
Jerini started operations in 1994. Subsidiaries are JPT Peptide Technologies GmbH and Jerini US, Inc. Jerini is listed on the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (JI4), and has raised a total of over 130 million Euro in public and private financing to date.
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Jerini's lead compound is Firazyr (icatibant), which is an inhibitor of the action of the hormone bradykinin on its B2 receptor. This compound was in-licensed from Aventis in 2001. It has been approved for hereditary angioedema in all 27 member states of the European Union in July 2008.[1] It was however denied a licence for the American market by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in April 2008.[2]
Jerini plans to broaden the therapeutic potential of Firazyr by addressing additional disease indications in which the pathophysiological role of elevated bradykinin levels has been established. Based on data obtained in Phase IIa clinical studies, Jerini and its US partner Kos Pharmaceuticals (now part of Abbott) are evaluating Icatibant's therapeutic potential in asthma and liver cirrhosis. Jerini has also obtained positive preclinical data demonstrating Icatibant's effect in severe burn models. The FDA has also granted Jerini orphan designation in this indication.
Based on its P2D platform, Jerini has established several in-house development programs, which address indications within the ophthalmology, oncology, and inflammatory therapeutic areas. The most advanced of these programs targets age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of vision loss and blindness in people over the age of 55 in developed countries. Jerini's compound (JSM 6427) has shown significant efficacy in combating disease progression in preclinical models.
Jerini's proprietary Peptides-to-Drugs (P2D) technology is used to identify peptide drug lead structures and systematically transform them into peptidomimetic (injectable) and small-molecule (oral) drugs, depending on the indication. As a result, Jerini is able to develop novel drug candidates against disease targets that are difficult to address using traditional discovery methods. The ability to create both peptidomimetic and small-molecule drug candidates facilitates parallel development of acute and chronic treatment possibilities for the same disease target, providing multiple business and partnering opportunities.
Jerini's focus is discovery, development, and commercialisation of novel peptide-based drugs. The company pursues disease indications that have limited or no treatment options and has built a drug pipeline composed of its own programmes, as well as others in collaboration with established partners. In July 2008 Jerini and Shire plc announced a strategic partnership.[3]
Collaboration agreements exist with Alcon Research Ltd., Baxter AG, Sanofi Aventis and Shire plc.