Ropes & Gray clients Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals and Fauna Bio were named among Fierce Biotech’s 2024 Fierce 15 honorees. The companies were selected by the publications editorial team from hundreds of nominees for breaking biotechnology barriers and defining the future of the industry.
Gilgamesh is developing novel psychedelic treatments to target the root causes of mental disorders with fewer side effects. Fauna is using an artificial intelligence drug discovery platform in obesity with data from disease-resistant mammals to analyze genes and biomedical pathways to identify targets for human medicines.
Ropes & Gray represented Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals in a collaboration and option-to-license agreement up to over $2 billion with AbbVie to develop next-generation therapies for psychiatric disorders. The collaboration announced on May 13 leverages AbbVie’s experience in psychiatry medicine and Gilgamesh’s innovative research platform to discover novel neuroplastogens for treatment of mood and anxiety disorders with the aim of improving patient outcomes without the challenging effects associated with first-generation compounds. Under the agreement, AbbVie and Gilgamesh have agreed to research and develop a portfolio of next-generation therapies for psychiatric disorders. Upon exercise of the option, AbbVie will lead development and commercialization activities.
The Ropes & Gray Gilgamesh team included life sciences licensing partner Hannah England, life sciences licensing associate Ian Nilsen and tax partner David Saltzman.
In December 2023, Ropes & Gray advised Fauna Bio in a multi-year strategic collaboration agreement with pharmaceutical leader Eli Lilly and Company that applies Fauna’s Convergence artificial intelligence (AI) platform to support preclinical drug discovery in obesity.
Fauna’s Convergence AI platform uses a process that involves studying genetics of animals that survive extreme conditions. This includes analyzing data collected from the protective adaptations of hibernating mammals and other extreme adaptations to identify drug targets for humans for diseases with high unmet medical needs.
The Ropes & Gray Fauna Bio team included Hannah England, life sciences licensing associate Nicole Rohr and venture capital & emerging companies partner Rajarshi Banerjee.
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