Genentech has forged a major partnership with Oxford-based biotechnology company OMass Therapeutics to develop novel oral small molecule therapies for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with the deal potentially worth more than $400 million in total payments.
Under the exclusive collaboration and license agreement announced in September 2025, OMass will receive $20 million upfront, with additional preclinical, development, commercial and net sales milestone payments exceeding $400 million, plus tiered royalties on net sales. The partnership focuses on developing oral small molecules against what the companies describe as a "first-in-class target" with a differentiated mechanism of action in IBD.
Targeting Previously Undruggable Proteins
The collaboration leverages OMass's proprietary OdyssION platform, which uses next-generation native mass spectrometry combined with novel biochemistry techniques to identify and analyze ligands for membrane proteins or complexes in their native lipid environment. This approach provides conformational information and offers mass spectrometry-based detection of binding and stoichiometry, including allosteric binding.
"Using our OdyssION platform, we've been able to make significant progress on this novel first-in-class target with a differentiated mechanism of action in inflammatory bowel disease," said Ros Deegan, CEO of OMass Therapeutics. The platform's unique capability lies in its ability to interrogate drug targets within their native ecosystem, separate from cellular complexity, offering what the company calls "cell-system fidelity with cell-free precision."
The OdyssION platform provides particular advantages in identifying ligands for targets previously considered undruggable, addressing a significant challenge in pharmaceutical development where many validated targets remain inaccessible to traditional drug discovery approaches.
Addressing Unmet Medical Need
The partnership targets a substantial patient population, with nearly eight million people worldwide living with IBD who require innovative treatment approaches. "Despite recent advancements, there is still a high unmet medical need which fuels our commitment to partnering with companies such as OMass Therapeutics focused on innovation to accelerate potentially transformative medicines and advance science," stated Boris L. Zaïtra, Head of Roche Corporate Business Development.
OMass already has a Phase I-ready candidate in its development pipeline, demonstrating the platform's ability to advance compounds toward clinical testing. The company, which spun off from the University of Oxford in 2016 from the working group of Professor Dame Carol Robinson, has established itself as a leader in native mass spectrometry applications for drug discovery.
Strategic Division of Responsibilities
Under the collaboration structure, OMass will maintain control over the initial preclinical development phase, leading the program through candidate selection. Following this stage, Genentech will assume responsibility for all subsequent activities including clinical development, regulatory submissions, manufacturing, and global commercialization efforts.
This division of responsibilities allows OMass to leverage its specialized platform expertise while benefiting from Genentech's extensive clinical development capabilities and global reach. "Genentech brings a strong legacy of innovation in immunology and world class scientific expertise, making them an ideal partner for this program," Deegan noted.
Company Background and Funding
OMass Therapeutics, headquartered in Oxford, UK, has raised over $160 million (£129 million) from a top-tier international investor syndicate including Syncona, Oxford Science Enterprises, GV, Northpond Ventures, Sanofi Ventures, and British Patient Capital. The company's broader pipeline includes small molecule therapeutics in rare diseases and immunological conditions, with its lead program being a best-in-class MC2 receptor antagonist for treating Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia and ACTH-dependent Cushing syndrome.
