Mediar Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing therapies for fibrosis, has entered into a collaboration and option agreement with Ono Pharmaceutical to discover and develop novel treatments for fibro-inflammatory diseases.

The collaboration will combine Mediar’s expertise in fibrosis biology, myofibroblast-targeting approaches and antibody discovery with Ono’s capabilities in immunology and inflammation research. Under the agreement, Ono will have an exclusive option to license worldwide rights to develop and commercialise selected programmes arising from the collaboration. Ono will make an upfront payment to Mediar and support research and development activities associated with the programmes.

Fibro-inflammatory diseases are characterised by processes including myofibroblast activation, persistent inflammation, tissue scarring and abnormal tissue remodelling. Progressive fibrosis can ultimately impair organ function and lead to serious complications.

 Rahul Ballal, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Mediar Therapeutics, said, “By using our expertise in fibrosis discovery, we are positioned to advance new potential therapies across a broad range of diseases. He added that the partnership represents an important milestone for the company and follows longstanding support from Ono Venture Investment, which has been an investor in Mediar since 2021.

Seishi Katsumata, Corporate Officer and Executive Vice President- Discovery and Research at Ono, said fibro-inflammatory diseases continue to represent areas of significant unmet medical need. He noted that combining Mediar’s fibrosis and antibody-discovery expertise with Ono’s experience in immunology and inflammation could help generate novel antibody therapeutics for patients.

Alongside the new collaboration, Mediar is advancing a pipeline of first-in-class programmes targeting different fibrotic disorders.

Its lead programme, MTX-474, is a human IgG1 antibody designed to target EphrinB2 signalling, which is involved in processes including myofibroblast activation, cell migration and tissue remodelling. The programme is being evaluated in a Phase 2 clinical study in patients with systemic sclerosis following completion of a Phase 1 study.

Mediar is also developing MTX-463, a human IgG1 antibody targeting WNT1-inducible signalling pathway protein-1 (WISP1), a secreted protein associated with fibrosis progression. A Phase 2 study of MTX-463 in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is currently recruiting in collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company.

The company’s third clinical programme, MTX-439, targets SMOC2, a matricellular protein implicated in kidney fibrosis. The antibody is being evaluated in a Phase 1 study involving healthy participants and adults with diabetic kidney disease, with plans to advance the programme into a randomized Phase 2 study.

Mediar’s drug discovery strategy focuses on the myofibroblast, a key pathogenic cell involved in fibrosis, tissue scarring and disease progression. The company aims to develop targeted therapies capable of interrupting fibrotic pathways before progressive scarring results in irreversible organ damage.

The collaboration with Ono adds another potential avenue for expanding Mediar’s fibrosis-focused pipeline while bringing together complementary capabilities in fibrosis research, antibody discovery and immunology.