• Beginning a new drug discovery collaboration using Congruence’s globally recognized Revenir™ platform for the creation of small molecule modulators
• Expanded collaboration into Ono’s other priority areas of interest, including neurology and immunology, following the ongoing partnership in oncology
• Obtaining exclusive worldwide option rights for the discovery, development, and commercialization of small molecule modulators generated by Congruence

Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Osaka, Japan; President: Toichi Takino; “Ono”) announced that it has entered into an agreement to expand the drug discovery collaboration agreement with Congruence Therapeutics (Headquarters: Montreal, Quebec, Canada; CEO: Clarissa Desjardins; “Congruence”) for the discovery of novel small molecule modulators against multiple protein targets in the areas of neurology and immunology.

In December 2024, we entered into an option-type drug discovery collaboration agreement with Congruence, utilizing their proprietary Revenir™ drug discovery platform to generate small molecule drug candidates in the field of oncology. The new agreement aims to create small molecule modulators in therapeutic areas distinct from the previous agreement. As with the prior agreement, under this new collaboration, Congruence will generate small molecule drug candidates targeting different proteins in the areas of neurology and immunology, respectively. Ono will obtain exclusive worldwide option rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize the selected small molecule drug candidates generated by Congruence. Under the terms of this agreement, Ono will pay Congruence an upfront payment, research funding, and milestone payments based on research, development and commercialization progress, as well as tiered royalties on net sales after product launch.

“Congruence’s advanced computational discovery engine is attracting growing global attention with its lead program entering clinical development. We are honored that our ongoing collaboration with Congruence is expanding beyond oncology to other priority areas including both neurology and immunology,” said Seishi Katsumata, Corporate Officer / Executive Director, Discovery & Research of Ono. “Through this partnership, we will be committed to accelerating the drug development so that we can deliver innovative new medicines to patients with unmet medical needs as quickly as possible.”

“We are excited to expand our partnership with Ono, a global pioneer of innovative medicines,” said Sharath Hegde PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of Congruence. “The expansion is a testament to the significant contributions we have made in our existing collaboration as well as the trust and confidence we continue to build with Ono. We look forward to leveraging the complementary strengths of both organizations to advance important research for the benefit of patients.”

About Revenir™ Drug Discovery Platform

Revenir™, Congruence's proprietary computational drug discovery platform, captures the dynamic biophysical changes of proteins in different functional states, offering unique insights into protein function and their modulation. By examining surface features and a spectrum of biophysical descriptors across an ensemble of protein conformers, Revenir™ predicts small molecule induced modulation of underlying physiologic protein states. This platform-driven strategy underpins Congruence’s growing pipeline of first-in-class and best-in-class programs directed to genetically validated targets implicated in conditions associated with significant unmet medical need, supporting a readily scalable and repeatable value creation paradigm.

About Congruence Therapeutics

Congruence is a computationally driven biotechnology company building a unique pipeline of transformative small molecule correctors rationally designed to rescue aberrant protein function. Our proprietary scalable platform, Revenir™, captures the biophysical features of proteins across their conformational ensembles, in order to identify novel allosteric and cryptic pockets which are virtually screened to generate novel chemical matter. Congruence has leveraged its proprietary discovery engine to launch a pipeline of wholly owned drugs directed to high-value, genetically validated, difficult-to-drug targets spanning a variety of indications including genetic obesity, GBA Parkinson's Disease, and α1-Antitrypsin Deficiency. Congruence is further deploying its discovery platform to support its multi-target research collaborations with large pharmaceutical companies focused on the discovery of small molecule correctors and allosteric modulators for the treatment of diseases in oncology, metabolic disease, neurology and immunology. For more information, please visit www.congruencetx.com.

About Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. delivers innovative therapies for patients worldwide. Upholding its philosophy of “Dedicated to the Fight against Disease and Pain,” Ono targets areas with unmet medical needs including oncology, immunology, and neurology, and fosters partnerships with academic and biotech organizations to accelerate drug discovery. Through its affiliate, Deciphera Pharmaceuticals, Ono is accelerating clinical development and commercial operations in the US and Europe to drive global business expansion and further its commitment to patient care. For more information, please visit the company's website at https://www.ono-pharma.com/en.

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