Dewpoint Therapeutics, the biomolecular condensates company, announced a new research collaboration with Pfizer for the development of potential therapeutics for the treatment of myotonic dystrophy type 1, DM1, a rare genetic disorder and one of two types of myotonic dystrophy. Under the agreement, Dewpoint will receive an upfront payment and will be eligible to receive research, development, and sales milestones payments, totaling up to $239 million should all milestones be achieved. Dewpoint will also be eligible to receive royalties on any approved products.
DM1 is an inherited genetic disorder linked with the DMPK gene. People diagnosed with DM1 experience muscle loss and weakness, difficulty breathing, cataracts, heart conditions, intellectual disability, and early death. According to NORD, DM1 affects approximately one in 8,000-20,000 people in the general population, with significant geographic and ethnic variation.
“DM1 is a devastating disease for which there is no treatment that addresses its underlying cause, so we are eager to carry out our collaboration with Pfizer to accelerate the development of new treatments into this space,” said Ameet Nathwani, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Dewpoint. “We are excited about applying our platform to a wide array of diseases where biomolecular condensates may play a role in key disease pathways, as Dewpoint believes they do in DM1.”
“The development of treatments for rare diseases, such as DM1, is a complex and rapidly evolving area of science, underscoring the importance of emerging research like this,” said Uwe Schoenbeck, Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, External Science & Innovation at Pfizer. “Through our combined expertise, we believe this collaboration has the potential to advance novel therapeutic solutions for patients in need.”