InterAx Biotech Ltd (“InterAx”) and Alveus Therapeutics Inc. (“Alveus”) today announced the formation of a strategic research collaboration and licensing agreement focused on the development of a differentiated small-molecule therapeutic candidate for metabolic disease. The joint effort is designed to address one of the most pressing challenges in modern medicine: achieving durable, clinically meaningful weight loss while maintaining a high standard of patient tolerability and long-term safety.
Under the terms of the agreement, InterAx and Alveus will collaborate on a target and therapeutic modality that, while well established in biological relevance, has remained largely untapped from a drug development perspective. By uniting complementary scientific strengths, the partners aim to unlock new potential within this space and deliver a next-generation therapy that meaningfully improves outcomes for patients living with obesity and related metabolic disorders. Although the financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed, the agreement includes an upfront payment to InterAx, as well as the opportunity for additional development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments as the program progresses.
At the core of the collaboration is InterAx’s proprietary Deep Signal™ discovery platform. Deep Signal™ is designed to address the inherent complexity of G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) biology by integrating drug chemistry, protein structure, cellular signaling data, and functional outcomes. Rather than optimizing molecules solely for binding affinity or potency, the platform enables the rational design of candidates with finely tuned signaling profiles, with the goal of maximizing therapeutic benefit while minimizing adverse effects. This approach is particularly relevant in metabolic disease, where small differences in receptor signaling can translate into large differences in efficacy, tolerability, and patient adherence.
Alveus brings to the collaboration deep expertise in metabolic disease research and development, with a strong track record in obesity, diabetes, and cardiometabolic disorders. The company’s leadership team combines scientific insight with practical experience in advancing therapies from early discovery through clinical development. By pairing Alveus’s disease-area knowledge and translational capabilities with InterAx’s signal-focused discovery engine, the collaboration seeks to overcome limitations seen with many current obesity treatments, including dose-limiting side effects, tolerability challenges, and waning efficacy over time.
“This collaboration represents an important step forward in our mission to translate complex signaling biology into better medicines,” said Andrew Roberts, Chief Executive Officer of InterAx. “We are thrilled to join forces with Alveus to advance a highly differentiated therapeutic candidate designed specifically to overcome the limitations of today’s obesity medications. Our Deep Signal™ platform was built to navigate the nuanced landscape of GPCR signaling, and Alveus’s depth of expertise in metabolic disease makes them an ideal partner to help bring this program from discovery toward the clinic and, ultimately, to patients.”
Jacob Jeppesen, Chief Scientific Officer and Head of Research and Development at Alveus, emphasized the strategic alignment between the two organizations. “InterAx’s unique platform integrates drug chemistry, protein structure, cellular signaling, and therapeutic efficacy—exactly the combination of capabilities required to efficiently design truly differentiated candidates,” he said. “We are excited to apply this approach to our joint program efforts and believe it has the potential to generate a best-in-class or first-in-class therapy for patients with obesity and related metabolic conditions.”
The collaboration comes at a time of intense global focus on metabolic disease, as obesity rates continue to rise and place increasing strain on healthcare systems worldwide. While recent advances have demonstrated the promise of pharmacological interventions for weight management, there remains a significant unmet need for therapies that deliver sustained benefits with improved tolerability and broader patient applicability. InterAx and Alveus believe their joint program has the potential to meet this need by targeting signaling pathways in a more precise and controlled manner.
Moving forward, the companies will work closely across discovery and preclinical development, leveraging shared scientific governance and a collaborative operating model. The ultimate objective is to advance a differentiated small-molecule candidate into clinical development, positioning it as a compelling new option in the rapidly evolving metabolic disease landscape. Through this partnership, InterAx and Alveus aim to demonstrate how deep mechanistic insight and strategic collaboration can translate into innovative therapies with the potential to improve millions of lives.
InterAx Biotech Ltd
InterAx is a Swiss Biotech company redefining drug discovery by understanding the impact of treatments on diseases before pre-clinical trials begin – an analysis traditionally inaccessible to very early programs. Focusing on GPCR small molecules, the Deep Signal™ platform deciphers complex biology by uncovering disease mechanisms at the cellular signaling level. This approach starts with advanced methods centered on drug chemistry and receptor structure, and then moves beyond them – into cell signaling – enabling unrivaled optimization that delivers differentiated drug candidates with higher efficacy, enhanced safety, and lower clinical failure rates.
InterAx’s three-asset portfolio demonstrates this impact, including a biologically differentiated GLP-1 asset that addresses the challenges seen with small-molecule competitors, a partnered metabolic program, as well as an innovative ACKR3 immuno-oncology program driven by unique target understanding. With four additional targets identified where the platform provides a strong edge, the company is poised to expand into neurologic and autoimmune indications.
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