Singapore, Oct. 28 -- US-based Gilead Sciences, Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire an oral IL-23R inhibitor programme, including lead asset HCXT-2001, from Hong Kong-based PepStar Therapeutics, a privately held, clinical-stage biotechnology company.

HCXT-2001 is an investigational, clinical-stage, oral, macrocyclic peptide inhibitor of IL-23R with an extended half-life, offering a potentially differentiated approach to oral IL-23 pathway inhibition. IL-23R is a clinically validated target in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, including Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD), with potential applications in psoriasis.

The transaction provides Gilead with worldwide rights to the IL-23R inhibitor programme, including HCX...