Almirall S A : calls for collaborative innovation to advance new treatments for skin diseases

Almirall calls for collaborative innovation to advance new treatments for skin diseases 22 July 2020

• AlmirallShare launches its fifth call for proposals, aiming to establish partnerships to find new assets-new chemical entities, biologics and other advanced therapies-for the treatment of dermatological conditions
• Scientists can participate until October 31, 2020
• AlmirallShare is responsible for 50% of the private-public collaborations at Almirall. This open innovation platform has received more than 350 proposals since its launch in 2017

AlmirallShare, the open innovation platform of Almirall, S.A. (ALM), launches its fifth call, aiming to establish collaborations in dermatological research and identify new treatments for skin health. The call seeks partnering opportunities for new assets-new chemical entities, biologics and other advanced therapies-in order to maximize their value as innovative therapies. With this call to the scientific community, Almirall opts once again to unite the science and creativity of experts from around the world with the company's knowledge and expertise.

Assets submitted for consideration must be in late research or preclinical development stages, address a specific pathway, and demonstrate a therapeutic potential for treating dermatological conditions.

AlmirallShare is responsible for approximately 50% of the private-public collaborations driven by Almirall. Since its launch in 2017, more than 900 scientists have shown interest in participating and more than 350 proposals have been received. To date, six collaborations have been established, based on new therapies (IDIBAPS, University of Turin), new targets (Dublin City University, University of Namur), and new preclinical models (University College Dublin, University of Sheffield). Additionally, three new collaborative projects are expected to start very soon.

With this fifth call, AlmirallShare reinforces its commitment to collaborative and shared innovation in R&D by offering a partnership opportunity and asset characterisation conducted by Almirall in a pre-agreed panel of relevant cellular assays and in vivo models of dermatological diseases. In all cases, applicants will retain ownership of their intellectual property.

Scientists affiliated with start-ups, biotechs, universities, research centres, and pharmaceutical companies from anywhere in the world may submit their proposals on sharedinnovation.almirall.com from July 20, 2020 to October 31, 2020. Terms and conditions can be found on the website.

'AlmirallShare calls were very well received by the scientific community. This encourages us to continue promoting new partnership projects in R&D to develop innovative solutions in medical dermatology. After having started what looks to be very promising collaborative projects since 2017, AlmirallShare has become a key tool for successful strategic partnerships that will translate into advances in treatments for dermatological conditions,' said Maribel Crespo, AlmirallShare leader.

AlmirallShare. Bringing Science and creativity together

AlmirallShare was launched in 2017 as an open innovation R&D platform designed to facilitate the establishment of collaborations in dermatological research and find innovative solutions in medical dermatology. By bringing together the science and creativity of experts from around the world and Almirall's own expertise, the AlmirallShare initiative accelerates the generation of new treatments for skin conditions. The main objectives of this project are to open up the innovation process to foster collaboration projects with partners worldwide, to share opportunities and knowledge with the scientific community in a structured, agile, and transparent manner, as well as to identify innovative solutions to dermatological needs and challenges. AlmirallShare aims to reach out to scientists at universities, public or private research institutions, hospitals, start-ups, and biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to address challenges such as the identification of therapeutic targets and experimental disease models, the development of new therapeutic treatments as well as novel technologies in dermatology. Almirall converts these challenges into Calls for Proposals (CFPs) which are then published on sharedinnovation.almirall.com

About Almirall

Almirall is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on skin health. We collaborate with scientists and healthcare professionals to address patient's needs through science to improve their lives. Our Noble Purpose is at the core of our work: 'Transform the patients' world by helping them realize their hopes and dreams for a healthy life'. We invest in differentiated and groundbreaking medical dermatology products to bring our innovative solutions to patients in need.

The company, founded in 1943 and headquartered in Barcelona, is publically traded on the Spanish Stock Exchange and is a member of the IBEX35 (ticker: ALM). Throughout its 77-year history, Almirall has retained a strong focus on the needs of patients. Currently, Almirall has a direct presence in 21 countries and strategic agreements in over 70, through 13 subsidiaries, with about 1,800 employees. Total revenues in 2019 were 908.4 million euros.

For more information, please visitalmirall.com