March 3, 2026 — Leads & Copy — Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. has expanded its drug discovery collaboration agreement with Congruence Therapeutics to discover novel small molecule modulators for neurology and immunology. The new agreement builds on a previous collaboration in oncology initiated in December 2024.
Under the expanded agreement, Congruence will generate small molecule drug candidates targeting proteins in the areas of neurology and immunology. Ono will have exclusive worldwide option rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize the selected candidates.
Ono will provide Congruence with an upfront payment, research funding, milestone payments based on research, development, and commercialization progress, and tiered royalties on net sales after product launch.
Seishi Katsumata, Corporate Officer / Executive Director, Discovery & Research of Ono, stated that Congruence’s computational discovery engine is attracting global attention. He added that the company is honored to expand its collaboration with Congruence beyond oncology to neurology and immunology. He said that through this partnership, they will be committed to accelerating drug development to deliver innovative new medicines to patients with unmet medical needs as quickly as possible.
Sharath Hegde PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of Congruence, said they are excited to expand their partnership with Ono. He added that the expansion is a testament to the significant contributions they have made in their existing collaboration as well as the trust and confidence they continue to build with Ono. He noted that they look forward to leveraging the complementary strengths of both organizations to advance important research for the benefit of patients.
Congruence’s Revenir™ drug discovery platform captures the dynamic biophysical changes of proteins, offering insights into protein function and modulation. By examining surface features and biophysical descriptors, Revenir™ predicts small molecule induced modulation of underlying physiologic protein states.
Congruence is a computationally driven biotechnology company developing small molecule correctors designed to rescue aberrant protein function. Its platform has enabled a pipeline of drugs directed to genetically validated targets across indications including genetic obesity, GBA Parkinson’s Disease, and α1-Antitrypsin Deficiency. Congruence is also collaborating with pharmaceutical companies on the discovery of small molecule correctors and allosteric modulators for diseases in oncology, metabolic disease, neurology, and immunology.
Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. delivers therapies for patients worldwide. Targeting areas with unmet medical needs including oncology, immunology, and neurology, Ono 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.
Source: Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
