Tularik and Japan Tobacco Inc. Collaborate on Orphan Nuclear Receptor Program

Strategic Insights -

Tularik Inc., a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of therapeutic agents, and Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT), a diversified company with a significant presence in the pharmaceutical industry, announced a three-year collaborative agreement to develop agonists and antagonists of orphan nuclear receptors. This agreement marks the second collaboration between the two companies, following their existing relationship in the field of obesity research.

The orphan nuclear receptor program aims to exploit the therapeutic potential of a diverse class of drug targets, with the ultimate goal of devising treatments for various diseases. The collaboration will involve JT and Tularik sharing development and commercialization costs and profits on a worldwide basis, with Tularik marketing products exclusively in the US and Canada, and JT marketing products exclusively in Japan and Korea.

Key Takeaways:

  • The agreement is a three-year collaborative effort between Tularik and Japan Tobacco Inc. to develop agonists and antagonists of orphan nuclear receptors.
  • Orphan nuclear receptors represent a large portion of the family of transcription regulators called nuclear receptors, which are known targets for important drugs.
  • Tularik will receive financial support for its research and drug discovery efforts in the area of orphan nuclear receptors.
  • The collaboration aims to clarify the biology of individual orphan nuclear receptors and discover small molecules capable of regulating their activity to cure or control disease.
  • Japan Tobacco Inc. is a diversified company with annual revenues of approximately $20 billion and assets exceeding $14 billion.
  • Tularik is advancing eight programs, including viral diseases, hypercholesterolemia, immune disorders, inflammation, bacterial diseases, obesity, cancer, and orphan nuclear receptors.
  • The company has established strategic partnerships with Merck & Co., Inc., Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., Taisho Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., and Roche Bioscience.

Statistics:

  • Annual revenues of Japan Tobacco Inc.: approximately $20 billion
  • Assets of Japan Tobacco Inc.: exceeding $14 billion
  • Number of programs Tularik is advancing: eight
  • Number of collaborations between Tularik and other companies: five

Sources:

  • "Tularik and Japan Tobacco, Inc. Announce Collaboration on Orphan Nuclear Receptor Program" (BW HealthWire), September 8, 1998
  • Tularik Inc. (Company website), www.tularik.com
  • Japan Tobacco Inc. (Company website), [www.jt-inc.co.jp](http://www.jt-inc.co.jp)