LEO Pharma and X-Chem Enter Into Discovery Research Agreement
BALLERUP, Denmark, and WALTHAM, Mass., US; July 6, 2021 – LEO Pharma A/S, a global leader in medical dermatology and X-Chem, Inc., the global leader in DNA-encoded library (DEL) driven discovery solutions, announced today that they have entered into a research collaboration and license agreement. The goal of the collaboration is to discover and develop novel treatments for dermatological indications.
Under the terms of the agreement, X-Chem will deploy its proprietary DEL platform to identify novel drug-like leads against multiple inflammation targets of interest to LEO Pharma. LEO Pharma has the option to receive exclusive global rights to compounds derived from the partnership and will be responsible for preclinical and clinical research and development. LEO Pharma also retains all rights to commercialization of any potential new medicines emerging from the collaboration.
“At LEO Pharma, we are dedicated to changing the standards of care for people with skin diseases by bringing new innovative treatments forward that are either first or best in class. Supporting this ambition, we are excited to work with the X-Chem team to identify novel small molecule drug leads,” said Thorsten Thormann, Head of Research and early Development. “X-Chem’s DEL platform technology is a powerful approach giving us increased capabilities to feed our innovative project portfolio.”
X-Chem CEO Matt Clark, Ph.D., said, "We are delighted to partner with LEO Pharma, a global leader in medical dermatology R&D. We look forward to a productive partnership with many tractable drug leads.”
Contacts
LEO Pharma
Henrik Heskjær
HDTDK@leo-pharma.com
+45 3140 6180
X-Chem
Steffen Helmling, PhD
bd@x-chemrx.com
+1 781 4196900
About LEO Pharma
About LEO Pharma
LEO Pharma helps people achieve healthy skin. The company is a leader in medical dermatology with a robust R&D pipeline, a wide range of therapies and a pioneering spirit. Founded in 1908 and owned by the LEO Foundation, LEO Pharma has devoted decades of research and development to advance the science of dermatology, setting new standards of care for people with skin conditions. LEO Pharma is headquartered in Denmark with a global team of 6,000 people, serving 93 million patients in 130 countries. In 2020, the company generated net sales of DKK 10,133 million. For more information please visit www.LEO-Pharma.com.
About X-Chem
X-Chem, Inc. is the leader in small molecule discovery science, providing pharmaceutical and biotech companies a complete, seamless solution for screening, hit validation and lead optimization. As pioneers of DNA-encoded chemical library (DEL) technology, the company leverages its market-leading DEL platform to discover novel small molecule leads against challenging, high-value therapeutic targets. X-Chem empowers partners to rapidly screen billions of diverse, drug-like compounds simultaneously and easily identify potent hits that exhibit desired selectivity and mode of action with attractive physicochemical properties. In-house lead optimization services enable clients to progress their compounds directly for even higher quality outputs. Our expertise in medicinal chemistry, custom synthesis and scale-up process chemistry enables us to support all aspects of drug discovery, supporting lead optimization through candidate identification.
For more about X-Chem, visit x-chemrx.com.
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Latest releases from LEO Pharma
LEO Pharma Presents Late-Breaking Phase 3 Delgocitinib Cream Data in Adolescents with Moderate to Severe Chronic Hand Eczema (CHE)18.9.2025 15:45:00 CEST | Pressemeddelelse
The first late-breaking presentation was the phase 3 trial results for DELTA TEEN, showing delgocitinib cream had superior efficacy compared to cream vehicle and was generally well tolerated in adolescents, aged 12-17, with moderate to severe Chronic Hand Eczema (CHE) for whom topical corticosteroids are inadequate or inappropriate.1 In a second late-breaking presentation, pooled data from five phase 2b and phase 3 trials of delgocitinib cream confirmed a consistent safety profile for the treatment of moderate to severe CHE in adults.2 Fifteen other pieces of delgocitinib cream research formed part of LEO Pharma’s most ambitious scientific program to date at EADV 2025.3-17
LEO Pharma presents two late-breaking abstracts for temtokibart reporting positive Phase 2b efficacy, safety and biomarker results in moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis at the 2025 EADV Annual Meeting in Paris17.9.2025 16:00:00 CEST | Pressemeddelelse
Results presented at EADV 2025 demonstrated that investigational agent temtokibart met its primary endpoint of percentage change in the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) compared with placebo for the three highest doses (600 mg, 450 mg, and 300 mg).1 Significantly greater improvements in EASI were reported as early as Week 1 for temtokibart 450mg and 300mg, and Week 2 for 600mg, vs placebo; these results were maintained up to Week 32 in 600mg and 300mg arms, despite no treatment after Week 14.1 Safety analyses revealed that temtokibart was well-tolerated with no dose-dependent AEs, a low incidence of conjunctivitis, and no signal for herpes.1
LEO Pharma Takes Centre Stage With its Largest-Ever Scientific Programme at EADV 202515.9.2025 15:00:00 CEST | Pressemeddelelse
For the second year in a row, LEO Pharma delivers its largest and most ambitious scientific programme ever at the 2025 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV), setting a new standard by presenting an unprecedented volume of scientific content for the company, with 5 late-breaking presentations and 24 regular abstracts.1-29 LEO Pharma’s scientific programme at EADV 2025 spans multiple dermatological indications, mirroring the company’s strong commitment to addressing both the most prevalent chronic skin diseases and hard-to-treat conditions.1-29 Highlights from EADV 2025 includes exciting phase 3 data in biologic injectables as well as foam and cream formulations, illustrating the breadth of therapeutic approaches represented in LEO Pharma’s medical dermatology portfolio.1-29
LEO Pharma delivers 7% revenue growth at CER in H1 2025 and achieves key milestones enabling future growth18.8.2025 12:00:00 CEST | Pressemeddelelse
Ballerup, Denmark, 18 August, 2025 - In H1 2025, LEO Pharma delivered robust growth and significantly improved profitability, enabling an increase to the financial outlook for sales growth and adjusted EBITDA margin in 2025 towards the upper-end of previously communicated expectations. In July, the FDA approval of Anzupgo® and partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim for SPEVIGO®, marked major strategic milestones demonstrating LEO Pharma’s commitment to advancing innovation in dermatology. Highlights LEO Pharma’s revenue increased by 6% year-on-year to DKK 6,789 million, and by 7% at constant exchange rates (CER) entirely driven by organic growth. The revenue growth was led by North America (+28% at CER), with Europe (+1% at CER) and Rest of World (+4% at CER) also contributing to the overall growth. Revenue from the Dermatology portfolio grew by 8% (CER) year-on-year, driven by the Strategic brands Adtralza®/Adbry® and Anzupgo®, which combined had a revenue increase of 51% (CER). Sales
LEO Pharma Announces FDA Approval of ANZUPGO® (delgocitinib) Cream in the U.S.23.7.2025 22:30:00 CEST | Pressemeddelelse
ANZUPGO® (delgocitinib) cream now becomes the first and only FDA-approved treatment specifically approved for the treatment of adults living with moderate-to-severe chronic hand eczema (CHE) in the U.S.1 CHE affects approximately one in ten adults worldwide, yet previously, there has been no specific treatment FDA-approved for those living with the disease.2,3 The approval represents an important milestone for LEO Pharma’s expanding presence in the U.S. as it broadens its portfolio of dermatology treatments to address unmet needs.
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