Novartis puts $1B on the line to court preclinical biotech Matchpoint

(July 24, 2025) by Gabrielle Masson.

Novartis is serving up $60 million to partner with Matchpoint Therapeutics in hopes of getting an oral covalent inhibitor over the line for inflammatory diseases that have been historically difficult to treat.

The exclusive option and licensing pact covers the development and commercialization of oral covalent inhibitors directed at an unnamed transcription factor tied to several inflammatory diseases, according to a July 24 release.

The deal is the preclinical Matchpoint’s first partnership to be publicly disclosed.