Angelini Pharma and Quiver Partner to Advance Genetic Epilepsies

Publisher: The Insight Partners

Angelini Pharma and Quiver Bioscience have announced a strategic research collaboration and licensing agreement. The collaboration aimed at accelerating the discovery of new therapies for genetic epilepsies. Under the multi-year agreement, Angelini Pharma will receive exclusive global licensing rights to drug targets identified through the partnership. Quiver will obtain an upfront payment and support for defined research tasks. The company is also eligible for milestone payments of up to $120 million and future royalties once Angelini selects collaboration-derived targets for further development.

“This collaboration represents a unique opportunity to uncover deeper scientific insights into genetic epilepsies,” said Rafal Kaminski, MD, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at Angelini Pharma. He added that the company plans to use advanced technologies and data analytics. This includes artificial intelligence to create a rich data set for future therapy development.

The partnership combines Quiver’s drug discovery capabilities, proprietary data assets, and AI-driven models with Angelini’s expertise in brain health and epilepsy therapeutic development. Both companies will focus on developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs), a group of rare, genetically driven disorders. These conditions often cause severe seizures and developmental impairments, primarily affecting children.

DEEs involve treatment-resistant seizures and a range of neurological symptoms linked to genetic mutations. Despite recent approvals for some therapies, there remains a high unmet need for more effective treatments. Experts note that understanding the functional and molecular consequences of disease-causing mutations is crucial.

To tackle these challenges, Quiver Bioscience will use its technology platform. That integrates human neuronal models with single-cell transcriptomics, optical electrophysiology, and AI analytics. This approach aims to speed up target identification and precision therapeutic discovery by linking genetic changes to functional neuronal behaviors.

“Working with Angelini Pharma allows us to pursue a novel scientific strategy enabled by Quiver’s platform,” said Graham T. Dempsey, PhD, co-founder and CEO of Quiver Bioscience. “By combining electrophysiology data with multi-modal molecular profiling, we aim to translate discoveries into new medicines for patients with urgent needs.”

Angelini’s CEO, Sergio Marullo di Condojanni, highlighted that the partnership supports the company’s strategic priorities. That strengthens its global presence and expands its pipeline of innovative medicines. Over the past two years, Angelini has pursued several collaborations and acquisitions to enhance its neuroscience portfolio. This continues its commitment to complex neurological diseases.

Industry analysts say collaborations like this are significant because they combine advanced discovery engines with established development expertise. This can shorten timelines and improve the precision of new therapies for genetically complex conditions like epilepsy. The growing prevalence of epilepsy also drives demand for new antiepilepsy drugs that will help to grow the demand for epilepsy drugs. By leveraging AI and high-resolution neuronal data, the alliance aims to identify drug targets that conventional methods may miss.

Interest in therapies for genetic epilepsies has risen due to increasing awareness of their diverse genetic causes and the limitations of current treatments. While some gene-targeted therapies exist, many patients still face uncontrolled seizures and long-term neurological impacts. Innovation in this area is essential for improving patient outcomes and quality of life.

Both Angelini Pharma and Quiver Bioscience emphasized that their collaboration will focus on precision medicine. Their goal is to discover and advance differentiated therapies addressing multiple forms of DEEs. The companies also plan to share collaboration-generated data throughout the research term, fostering ongoing scientific insight into genetic epilepsy mechanisms.

Experts in epilepsy research welcomed the partnership, noting that AI and high-content neuronal analysis could open new avenues for therapy discovery. Especially for genetically driven epilepsies that have so far lacked effective treatments. Progress in this area could also benefit other rare neurological disorders.

As the collaboration progresses, stakeholders are closely watching how the combination of discovery technologies and traditional drug development expertise will influence outcomes. With Angelini’s focus on brain health and Quiver’s technology-driven platform, the alliance is well-positioned to advance solutions for the challenges posed by genetic epilepsies.