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.
Subscribe to releases from LEO Pharma
Subscribe to all the latest releases from LEO Pharma by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from LEO Pharma
LEO Pharma delivers 8% revenue growth at CER in 9M 2025 and updates full-year outlook6.11.2025 09:00:00 CET | Pressemeddelelse
Ballerup, Denmark, 6 November, 2025 - In the first nine months of 2025, LEO Pharma continued its robust revenue growth, with significantly improved profitability and free cash flow. As expected, growth accelerated in the third quarter, with the global rollout of Anzupgo® gaining further momentum after its September launch in the U.S. The 2025 financial outlook is updated to reflect the addition of Spevigo® to the portfolio, reinforcing LEO Pharma’s commitment to advancing innovation and expanding access to care. Highlights LEO Pharma’s revenue increased by 7% to DKK 10,064 million, and by 8% at constant exchange rates (CER), entirely driven by organic growth. The revenue growth was led by North America (+27% at CER), with Europe (+2% at CER) and Rest of World (+6% at CER) also contributing to the overall growth. Revenue from the Dermatology portfolio grew by 9% (CER), driven by the Strategic brands Adtralza®/Adbry® and Anzupgo®, which combined had a revenue increase of 41% (CER), in ad
LEO Pharma announces NICE recommendation of reimbursement in England and Wales5.11.2025 12:00:00 CET | Pressemeddelelse
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended the first-and-only topical treatment for adults in the United Kingdom specifically approved for moderate to severe chronic hand eczema (CHE) for whom topical corticosteroids are inadequate or inappropriate.1 The Technology Appraisal Guidance (TAG) means NHS organisations in England and Wales must now make Anzupgo® ▼(delgocitinib) cream available for healthcare professionals to prescribe. CHE affects around 4.4 million2,3 adults in the UK, with 70% of those with severe forms reporting problems performing everyday activities4, and 58% saying it interferes with their ability to work5.
LEO Pharma strengthens leadership in medical dermatology with the appointment of Sophie Lamle as Chief Development Officer3.11.2025 12:00:00 CET | Pressemeddelelse
Sophie Lamle brings over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, leading innovation, clinical development, and strategic transformation. Her appointment will further strengthen LEO Pharma’s Search & Develop innovation model, unlocking value with a focus on differentiated assets.
LEO Pharma continues global rollout of Anzupgo® (delgocitinib) cream with submission of New Drug Application in China16.10.2025 15:30:00 CEST | Pressemeddelelse
LEO Pharma is seeking to expand the availability of Anzupgo® (delgocitinib) cream to China, as the company announces the submission of a New Drug Application (NDA) to the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), which has been accepted for review for adult patients with moderate to severe chronic hand eczema. The NDA is supported by results from DELTA China, a phase 3 trial with Anzupgo in Chinese adults with moderate to severe chronic hand eczema (CHE)1 along with the full clinical program of delgocitinib, which includes data from DELTA 1,2 and 3, DELTA Force and DELTA Teen.2-7 The Anzupgo NDA submission demonstrates LEO Pharma's commitment to providing additional treatment options for patients living with skin diseases in China.
LEO Pharma closes deal for Spevigo®1.10.2025 09:00:00 CEST | Pressemeddelelse
Adding Spevigo® is a significant step forward in LEO Pharma’s focused growth strategy, to accelerate and expand patients’ access to treatments for medical dermatological conditions, including generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP), a rare and severe skin condition Spevigo® (spesolimab) is a first-in-class IL-36R antagonist successfully developed and launched by Boehringer Ingelheim and approved globally for the treatment and prevention of GPP flares Spesolimab is also being investigated for the treatment of other IL-36-mediated skin diseases
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom