Nimbus Discovery has entered a co-development agreement with Shire focused on small molecule treatments for lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs), the firm said. Nimbus and Shire hope to develop the first small-molecule agents designed to penetrate previously inaccessible tissues to be administered orally.

The companies aim to use Nimbus’ computational chemistry approach to discover and develop therapies for these rare genetic diseases, the firm said. Under the terms of the agreement, Nimbus will profile molecules and deliver a drug candidate ready to enter late preclinical studies. From there, Shire will be in charge of clinical development and commercialization activities.

Through this agreement, Nimbus is eligible to receive undisclosed preclinical, development, and commercial-stage milestones. This deal marks the first announced through Shire’s partnership with Atlas Venture, which identifies investments for early-stage venture creation around rare genetic diseases. Additional financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.

“This collaboration validates our computationally-driven, structure-based drug discovery engine,” Nimbus CSO Rosana Kapeller, M.D., Ph.D., said in a statement. “Nimbus is thrilled to pursue our first alliance with Shire, a company that shares our passion for uncovering breakthroughs in highly sought-after disease targets that have proven inaccessible to traditional industry approaches.”

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